No Way Back
by Ultimate Queen of Cliffies
Summary: "It was her!" Morrible cried. "That witch attacked our Wonderful Wizard!" It all starts with an invitation for Elphaba to meet the Wizard in the Emerald City; but things only go downhill from there. Sequel to Roads Not Taken, but can be read separately. Fiyeraba. Winner 3rd place Best Angst in the 2015 Greg Awards.
1. Broken Vows

**Hello all! I wanted to post something for my birthday, and even though it's midnight and not technically my birthday anymore... here you go. Happy 22nd birthday to me!**

 **As it says in the description, this is the sequel to _Roads Not Taken_ , but I'm pretty sure it can be read separately. I am so glad you joined me again for this one and I hope you will enjoy reading it even half as much as I am enjoying writing it!**

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 **1\. Broken Vows**

Only a week ago, life could not have been better.

Fiyero Tiggular had decided that as he was sitting in the grass, his back against a tree, in the park on a beautiful spring day with his girlfriend curled up in his lap. Her head had been nestled under his chin and her eyes had been flying across the pages of her book as she read, her glasses perched on her nose. He, on the other hand, had been busy twirling strands of her hair around his fingers and simply enjoying being near her. His arms had gone around her to lightly brush against her sides and he had detected a ghost of a smile flitting across her face. He'd grinned and done it again.

She'd swatted at him. "Stop distracting me."

"You don't have any more exams, so I can distract you all I want." His grin had turned lopsided. "And besides, the book isn't going anywhere."

"And you are?"

He'd sighed, recognising that she had won. "Well, no. I guess not."

"You guess?" She'd sounded amused and his grin had returned as he started tickling her sides full-force.

"You," he'd said as she'd squirmed and shrieked with laughter, "are much too cheeky for my liking, Miss Elphaba. I think we will need to do something about that."

She'd managed to break free and tackled him, pinning him down with her knees and hands and bringing her face closer to his. "Oh, really?"

"Yes," he said. "Really." He'd rolled them over and grinned at her before crashing his lips against hers and kissing her silly. He loved the way she always seemed to melt in his arms when he did that – it felt as if they were made for one another, she fit in his arms so perfectly.

That was a week ago.

Right now, however, she was looking at him with such hurt and betrayal in her dark eyes that it made him hate himself. He couldn't believe he'd done this to her again... even though it hadn't _really_ been his fault. He hadn't wanted it. He'd just been a little drunk and that woman had been after him...

"You kissed someone else." Elphaba's voice was low, dangerously so, and quiet. No emotion could be heard in her voice, but he could see every emotion she was feeling in her eyes. He knew her too well by now for that to escape his attention.

"Yes," he said, lowering his gaze. "But I swear, Fae, it was only one kiss, and it didn't mean anything. I mean, she recognised me as the prince of the Vinkus and she draped herself all over me, and I'd had a little too much to drink... and I'm sorry. I just... I'm really sorry."

This wasn't how it had been supposed to go. When Elphaba had received a sparkly, emerald green envelope from the Wizard himself, inviting her to meet him, she had been ecstatic. Since Glinda had visited the Emerald City with her parents the summer before and Fiyero had never been there, she had asked him to come along – the Wizard had sent her two train tickets and the hotel reservation had been for two people as well, allowing her to take someone with her – and he had eagerly accepted. It was supposed to be a wonderful, romantic time. Three days in the City to look at all the architecture, the museums and the palaces, to see plays at the theatre and eat at fancy restaurants from the money the Wizard had sent Elphaba along with her invitation... and on the third morning, Elphaba was to meet His Ozness in the throne room of the Emerald Palace.

It had been amazing. They'd both been so excited at the prospect of it all, pressing their noses against the carriage windows as they had gotten nearer to the city and pointing out everything they could see to one another. Elphaba loved the fact that everything was green and that she fit right in, without people giving her strange looks; and Fiyero loved seeing her so happy.

Everything had been going so well for all of them, he mused as he looked at her now, sad at the knowledge that he had hurt her again. Since _Gravity_ 's charity performance last year and his and Elphaba's subsequent talk, a year and a half had passed and they were still together. They still had fights. There were still moments when Fiyero was sorely tempted to run off to some party to drink and forget all about his girlfriend; and he was sure that Elphaba's fingers itched sometimes to turn him into a radish. Overall, however, they were happy. Fiyero kept his promise of not cheating on the green girl, no matter how bad their fights got or how mad she drove him, and he could tell that she was still trying to be more open with him, even though it was equally clear that that was still a struggle for her. They fought frequently and they drove one another crazy sometimes, but they were working out. Or so it had seemed, anyway.

Gazilon and Cohvu had graduated, upon which Elphaba had instantly started looking for new band members. By then, _Gravity_ had expanded and grown more popular; and with her own graduation looming in the distance, Elphaba had started searching for someone to replace her as the manager. She had soon found that person and she had felt confident to leave the band in the capable hands of its new manager and lead singer.

The green girl had thought long and hard about who to appoint the band's new manager. She didn't want _Gravity_ 's success to be undone by someone incompetent; she'd need a dependable, smart, and creative person who would care for the band and its members as much as Elphaba always had.

Fiyero had been amazed and slightly apprehensive when Elphaba had announced the name of the band's new manager, but Elphaba had convinced him.

"She's everything _Gravity_ needs, Yero," she'd said. "She's reliable and devoted and she already loves the band – she always has."

And thus it was decided that after graduation, Elphaba would pass the management of _Gravity_ on to Lanae, who was very eager to begin. She had already started asking around for people to fill in the gaps that would be left by Boq and Avaric and Elphaba was confident that Lanae would manage to assemble a complete band again by the time their first performance of the new school year would roll around. The green girl had heard that Lanae had started dating another boy by now and that they were doing well together so far.

Elphaba, Fiyero, Galinda, Boq, and Nessarose – and Avaric – had all graduated Shiz only a few days ago, after which most of them had gone home. Elphaba and Fiyero, however, had set out for their three-day trip to the Emerald City. They would each return to their respective homes afterwards, since Fiyero had some royal duties to attend to and Frexspar wanted his eldest daughter home for the summer; but he knew that Elphaba was hoping that Madame Morrible's prediction from three years ago would come true and that the Wizard would make the dark-haired witch his Grand Vizier, meaning Elphaba would get to live in the Emerald City after the summer. Fiyero, of course, would be joining her if that was the case – he was not going to leave her alone here. They had been looking forward to the future.

And then he had spoiled it all in one night by drinking just a little too much and allowing some pretty Gillikin girl to get just a little too close. He hadn't even planned on going out drinking, but Elphaba had been very nervous about her meeting with the Wizard the next day and she'd asked him to give her some time alone, so he had gone off to a café down the street from their hotel to have a few drinks... and then that woman had suddenly kissed him.

He'd pushed her away instantly. It hadn't meant anything. Perhaps he shouldn't even have told Elphaba, but he was afraid that if he didn't, she'd find out somehow later and that would be even worse. Now, however, looking into her eyes, he regretted telling her. She would probably never have found out if he hadn't and now he had only hurt her.

"You promised you'd never cheat on me again."

He winced. "Fae..."

"Don't call me that." He could see her pushing the hurt away as she started pacing and he prepared for her unleashing her anger at him. She always dealt with things that way. Tears and hurt feelings weren't productive, after all, but anger was; and he knew she'd probably start screaming at him, and possibly throwing things at him or even hexing him, within the next few clock-ticks.

His suspicions were proven to be well-founded when she suddenly spun to hurl a cushion from the couch at his face. He ducked only just in time and she shouted at him, "You _promised_ , Fiyero!"

"I know!" He quickly dodged the next cushion. "Elphaba, I didn't mean to, I swear... I'm so sorry. It won't ever happen again."

"You said that last time," she hissed at him, her eyes burning. "I hate you."

"Fae –"

"Get out."

He was dumbfounded. "What?"

"I said get out!"

He straightened. "No." He wasn't going to let her go that easily. Not again.

She shook her head, seemingly making a decision. "Fine." She stalked into the bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her.

He wanted to follow her, but he decided to wait just a little while – perhaps she'd cool down a little if he gave her some time for herself. He sank down on the living room couch and sighed. How did he always manage to mess things up so badly? It wasn't like he did it on purpose. He supposed he really was brainless.

When she appeared again, she was carrying her bag and his eyes widened in alarm. "Fae?" he asked, rising to his feet. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she snapped at him as she passed him. "I'm leaving. You stay here and enjoy the hotel luxury by yourself – I'll find some other place to stay. I can't look at your face a clock-tick longer."

"Elphaba," he said pleadingly. "Don't go. Please. I didn't mean to... I said I was sorry!"

""Sorry" doesn't fix everything, Fiyero." She marched through the living space and yanked open the door. "If you so much as think of coming after me, I swear to Oz I _will_ turn you into a rock."

"But where will you go?"

"I'll find a place." She stepped out of the door.

"But what about your meeting with the Wizard tomorrow morning?" he called out to her, panicking now. She wasn't really serious, was she? She couldn't be. She had nowhere to go, she hardly had any money; and the Emerald City was, despite all its splendour, a dangerous place for a young girl alone. Besides... he was supposed to go with her. He'd been so honoured when she'd asked him to come with her to meet the Wizard – he wanted to be by her side during that meeting that could just change her entire life. He wanted to experience that with her, but he also recognised the fact that he did not deserve that privilege any longer.

"I can meet the Wizard by myself!" she sneered at him, just as he had feared she would, before slamming the door shut behind her.

He wanted to follow her and try to talk to her again. He really did. Especially since he didn't know where she would go – what if something would happen to her? He had no doubt, however, that she would carry out her threat if she caught him going after her. She'd grown to be pretty good at sorcery by now and in her current state, he could see her doing something drastic to him. Elphaba was never very rational when she was angry.

And so instead of attempting to talk to her, he sneaked after her, careful to stay out of sight as he tracked her down the street and then into a different street. She didn't look over her shoulder once and she didn't seem to notice him, which he was glad about. For tonight, she just needed to be safe; he'd talk to her about everything tomorrow, once she had cooled down a little.

He sneaked after her around another corner and suddenly, with a surge of relief, he understood where she was going. Gazilon lived only a few blocks away from the hotel. They had had coffee with him the previous day and he'd explained the way to his house to them in case they needed him for anything. This probably wasn't what he'd had in mind – he'd have thought about them needing information to navigate the city or tips for nice restaurants to eat at – but Fiyero was sure that Gazilon would take care of her. He hoped the other man would be able to calm her down; but even if he couldn't, at least she would be safe there.

He waited until the front door of the house opened and she was let inside by Gazilon before going back, returning to the hotel room and sinking down onto the couch with his head in his hands with a long sigh. He realised he had screwed up. Again. Big time.

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 **For the ones following me on Twitter: I counted this one as a cliffy. So far, there are fourteen chapters and eight of them have cliffies - some about as "bad" as this one, others... well, worse. *cackles* Reviews are still always very much appreciated!**


	2. An Old Friend

**This chapter is dedicated to my friend Malou, whom I said good-bye to today because she will be moving to Austria tomorrow. I told you in that sappy card, but I'll say it again - thank you for being my friend, we've had some amazing times together and we'll continue to do so, even if it will be mostly via Facebook and occasional visits now!**

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 **2\. An Old Friend**

When Gazilon opened the door and saw Elphaba on his doorstep, clearly fuming and with a bag slung over her shoulder, he blinked at her owlishly. "El?"

"Hi," she said tiredly, her shoulders slumping a little. "Could I... stay here for a night?"

"Of course!" He opened the door wider and watched her, puzzled, as she came in. "El, what happened? Everything was fine yesterday and I thought you and Fiyero were planning to..." He trailed off. "Oh. It's Fiyero, then?"

"Isn't it always?" she muttered bitterly and he sighed and closed the door behind her, leading her over to the living room.

"What happened?" he asked.

"He kissed some other girl," she said flatly, not elaborating. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Ouch." He grimaced sympathetically and moved closer to her, rubbing her back. "Well... it's nice to have you here, regardless of the reason. Do you want me to distract you?"

"Please," she said and he smiled.

"How about a tour? You didn't get to see much of my house yesterday."

She agreed and he showed her around his home, which was much larger than she'd thought it would be. After graduation, Gazilon had moved to the Emerald City and joined the Wizard's Gale Force; but Elphaba hadn't expected that job to pay so well.

When he saw her gaping, he grinned sheepishly. "I come from a rich family, remember?" He shrugged. "My parents wanted me to live in a "decent" house, so they provided me with some extra money. All right," he conceded when he saw her raised eyebrow, "a lot of extra money. Being a Gale Force soldier doesn't really pay all that well, but I'm planning on trying to rise up in the ranks soon. They're very happy with me."

She admired the light, spacious rooms and the rich furniture and he led her to the kitchen, seating her at the table as he went to prepare something to eat. She wasn't hungry, but she didn't tell him that. She just sat there, staring ahead of her, her mind reeling.

"Would you tell me what exactly happened?" Gazilon asked carefully and she sighed, knowing he wouldn't let her off the hook until she told him everything.

"I wanted to be alone for a while," she said, her gaze fixed on the tabletop, "so he went out to get a drink at a café earlier tonight. He said he was a little tipsy and that woman all but forced herself on him, kissing him, which I guess could be true... I suppose I've gotten so used to the girls at Shiz staying away from him that I forgot how popular he is. I mean, back at school, everyone knew that "the green freak" was his girlfriend and that I studied sorcery." The corners of her lips turned up in a wry smile. "I guess they were afraid of me. He is still the scandalacious Fiyero Tiggular, though, so it makes sense that women would try such things on him... maybe I overreacted a little," she admitted, lowering her gaze, "but I just... I couldn't help but feel betrayed. I thought he'd never do such a thing again and even if it wasn't entirely his fault, who says it won't go further next time? I just... I can't take that again," she said, suddenly near tears. "I've been through that nearly two years ago and it was horrible. I can't do that again."

"I understand, El. I do." He shook his head. "I'm sorry."

She looked at him, crouching beside her chair now, and then suddenly wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "It's really good to see you again," she murmured against his chest. "I missed you." She'd always loved talking to him, even after their break-up. Whenever Fiyero was driving her crazy and Galinda wasn't of much help, she always went to Gazilon. He had a way of making her feel better and she'd appreciated his friendship even more after he'd left and she couldn't talk to him whenever she wanted anymore.

"I missed you, too." He hugged her back. "All of you. Letters are nice, but it's not the same as actually being together... not to mention I miss the band. And Cohvu," he added. "Have any of you heard from him since he graduated?"

She shook her head. Cohvu seemed to have dropped off the face of Oz, somehow; there had been no letters, no notes, not even an address left for them. Nothing. None of them had heard from him in about a year now.

"And how are the others?" he asked as he turned back to the counter, continuing to make them some sandwiches. "You didn't tell me all that much yesterday – you answered my questions, but you seemed more interested in me and life in the Emerald City," he said teasingly.

She scowled at him. "Well, I might come to live here, you know."

"I know. I understand, but I'd love to hear about everyone else now. How are they? Avaric, Nessa, Boq, Galinda?"

"Fine," she said, watching him move around. "Avaric is still a pig; but then again, I would be surprised – and maybe even a little disappointed – if he ever changed."

Gazilon chuckled in agreement.

"Nessarose graduated as well and went back to Munchkinland with my father after the ceremony." Her head grew heavy even thinking about Frex. He had not been happy at all about Elphaba and Fiyero's continuing relationship and he'd made that very clear to her, resulting in a fierce argument. Now she could not help but think that perhaps he'd get his wish of them breaking up after all. "Boq and Galinda are still together."

Gazilon whistled. "Who would have thought?"

After Galinda's mission of making Cohvu her boyfriend had failed miserably, she'd turned an eye on Gazilon, only he had still been pining after Elphaba. It had taken a while, but eventually, Galinda had started noticing that Boq was still in love with her and although reluctant at first, she'd agreed once more to go on a date with him.

"Just this once," she'd warned him, "and if it doesn't work out again, then you really need to let go of the idea of dating me, Boq. I don't want to disappoint you all the time."

He'd agreed eagerly, despite that condition, and Elphaba knew that neither of them had really expected it to work out. Actually, _no-one_ had really expected it to work out. Which was why everyone, including Galinda and Boq themselves, had been extremely surprised when a second date followed. And then a third. And then the announcement came that they were together.

That was about a year ago now and they were still together – again, much to everyone's surprise. It was clear that Boq adored his blonde girlfriend and it was equally clear that Galinda had really fallen in love with him as well. She'd even taken to wearing lower heels than usual so that she wouldn't be taller than he was. They were blissfully happy.

Unlike a certain other couple, Elphaba could not help but think wryly.

They talked about Shiz for a while and Gazilon told her about his work in the Gale Force, distracting her with his stories, which she appreciated. She watched him as he talked and she thanked him for the sandwich he set down in front of her, although she did not eat it. She looked at him and she remembered the time when they had still been together. He would never cheat on her, she knew. Why couldn't you choose whom you fell in love with?

He saw the look in her eyes and he laughed. "What is it?"

She shook her head. "Nothing." She inched closer to him and he blinked, obviously unsure of her intentions. She slid forward on her chair and brought her face closer to his, slowly, without even thinking about it. He moved in, too, until they were almost nose to nose and she could see the silver flecks in his blue eyes, with his breath ghosting against her lips... but then he stopped.

"Don't," he whispered. "Elphaba, you can't do that to him. Don't hurt him like that."

"He did it to me," she pointed out, but he shook his head.

"Kissing me won't make you feel any better," he said. "And besides – you're better than that. He loves you – I know he does – and he probably really didn't mean to. Don't do this to him... or to yourself."

She snorted and he added, "Or to me."

She pulled away, suddenly embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"I know," he cut her off. "It's okay. You're emotional and confused right now and I can't blame you. I'll make a bed for you in the guest room and you can get a good night of sleep, all right? You'll feel better in the morning."

She followed him up the stairs and looked on as he made the bed for her. "Gaz?"

"Yes?"

She fidgeted. "Do you... I mean, are you still..." She hesitated, but he knew what she meant.

"I haven't had a girlfriend since you," he said. "I guess you... left an impression that's not so easy for another girl to live up to. I am over you, El, I really think I am... in the sense that I feel like I could move on. And yet at the same time, I also know that if you were single right now and wanted me back, I wouldn't hesitate for a clock-tick." He smiled sadly at her. "I realise now, though, that you could never be truly happy with me. You're meant to be with Fiyero, you know. You'll make up. Just sleep on it."

She voiced her thoughts. "If I could choose who to be in love with, Gaz... I'd choose you."

"I know." He grinned at her. "I _am_ the perfect boyfriend, after all."

She smiled, remembering her words during their break-up, and he shook his head. "But you can't," he said, "and so it's no use dwelling on it. Fiyero is a great guy, Elphaba. You must see that, too, or you wouldn't be in love with him. We all make mistakes. We all do stupid things. I'm not saying you can't be angry at him or that it is okay what he did, but you also have to realise that he is trying. So are you. There's a reason the two of you keep being drawn to one another."

She sighed. "I guess."

He put his arms around her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Get some sleep. You can return to him in the morning."

"I can't," she said. "I have to meet the Wizard first."

He looked startled. "Tomorrow morning? Well, that's bad timing."

She shrugged. "It's fine. I'll just go alone – I can handle it. I'm ready."

He nodded. "If you say so. Although I predict Fiyero will show up here within the hour to try and apologise to you."

"I doubt it," she said. "He has no idea where I am."

Gazilon gave her a sharp look. "El, you can't keep him in the dark like that. He's probably worried sick!"

She shrugged again, indifferently. "I don't care."

"Yes, you do," he chided her. "What's your hotel and room number? I'll go see him."

She grumbled – a night of worrying would be good for Fiyero, in her opinion – but she relented eventually, giving him the name of the hotel and the number of the room they had been staying in. Gazilon went downstairs after that, probably to go and visit Fiyero at the hotel; and Elphaba collapsed on the bed, suddenly feeling exhausted. She decided to get some sleep first – she'd have to be well-rested for her meeting with the Wizard tomorrow, after all. That was her main focus right now. Everything else would come afterwards.

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 **Use the review button to send some luck in Malou's direction - or just to make me happy :).**


	3. The Chance to Fly

**Thank you all for your reviews! :) This is where the real fun begins...**

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 **3\. The Chance to Fly**

The first words out of Fiyero's mouth when he came into the hotel foyer and saw Gazilon were, "She's with you, right?"

"She is," Gazilon instantly reassured him and the prince let out an audible breath.

"Thank Oz. I mean, I followed her and I saw her going into your house, but I didn't expect you to turn up here... is she okay?"

"Yes. I won't stay long," Gazilon said. "I just wanted to come and tell you that she's spending the night with me and that she's safe. She's rather upset with you, though."

Fiyero sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I know. I can't blame her, either," he said miserably. "I just... I _really_ didn't do it on purpose. Actually, I didn't do anything at all. I pushed that woman away the moment I realised what she was doing, but I understand that Elphaba still feels betrayed and I... I wish she could forgive me, but I'm honestly wondering if she ever will."

"This is not your first stupid move," Gazilon pointed out matter-of-factly. "Not your worst, either, since it wasn't even really a move on your part at all. She's forgiven you before. She will again. She's probably just stressed because of her meeting with the Wizard tomorrow – stress has never been a positive influence on her anger management."

Fiyero chuckled mirthlessly. "Tell me about it."

Gazilon grinned and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Fiyero, she'll come around. She's meeting the Wizard tomorrow and the moment she gets back, I'll send her to you."

"I wish I could be there with her," Fiyero muttered.

Gazilon nodded sympathetically. "I know. She'll be fine, though."

"She will be." Fiyero sighed. "Well, I guess I'll just try to get some sleep, then. Thanks for coming to tell me, Gazilon. I appreciate that."

"I know you do." Gazilon smiled and turned around, heading back to the front door. Fiyero thanked the maid who had come to tell him about his visitor and then went back upstairs to his own room. He tried to get some sleep, but he just didn't seem able to drift off, thoughts of Elphaba invading his mind. He wondered what he could do to try and make it up to her. He'd definitely apologise again, that was for sure. He'd buy her flowers or chocolates if it weren't for the fact that he knew she'd only smack him with them – she hated such girly things, even though she loved chocolate when she was able to buy it for herself. For a brief moment, he contemplated going over to Gazilon's place to sing her a serenade outside her bedroom window, but there were several problems with that idea. One, he had no idea which window was hers. Two, she'd be asleep and she would only get angrier with him for waking her up when she needed rest for her big day tomorrow. Three, she'd most likely drop a potted plant on his head – either for waking her up or just for the sappy gesture. Or for both.

He sighed and turned around, staring out of the window. He'd just leave her be until tomorrow. She'd be fine, seeing the Wizard by herself. The last thing he wanted to do was distract her by trying to get her to forgive him. This required a few serious conversations and she didn't have the time or the energy for that – she had other things to worry about first.

Sighing once more, he turned onto his back and waited for morning to arrive.

* * *

Her head was spinning, her heart beating rapidly in her chest as she tried to grasp everything that had come to pass in the last hour.

Only an hour ago, she had walked up to the Emerald Palace at a brisk pace, having declined Gazilon's offer of accompanying her to the door. She'd been talking to herself, telling herself sternly to forget about Fiyero and their fight for a while and concentrate on this. This was what she had been waiting for her entire life. She had spent three years preparing for this – reading sorcery books, practising magic with Glinda and Morrible, trying to become better and better. She'd taken a double minor, extra classes, and the Sorcery seminar beside her regular major classes and she'd worked hard on her extracurricular activities. She had tried her hardest to be the best she could be in order to impress the Wizard. Him inviting her had only been the first step. Now she would have to prove herself to him in person.

Only an hour ago, she'd been led into the throne room and greeted by the Wonderful Wizard of Oz – a middle-aged man with greying hair and friendly eyes who had told her how happy he was to meet her. Madame Morrible had appeared, his newly appointed Press Secretary, and handed Elphaba a thick book filled with magical spells. She'd hesitated, sensing the power wafting off that book, and confessed that she was nervous; and the Wizard had held out a bottle to her.

"Have a sip of this," he'd said with an encouraging smile. "Liquid courage. It works for me every time."

But she had only been able to stare at the bottle. A green, glass bottle identical to the one she always kept underneath her pillow.

Less than an hour ago, she had found out that the Wonderful Wizard of Oz was, in fact, her biological father.

Less than an hour ago, she had also found out that the Wizard – her father – was responsible for removing the Animals from society and taking away their voices.

And now here she was. The Wizard – who had introduced himself as Oscar Diggs after the discovery regarding his and Elphaba's... biological connection – had asked Madame Morrible to give them a moment and now he was seated across from her in an arm chair, watching her thoughtfully as she paced up and down the room.

"You're angry," he stated after a while.

She exploded. "You think?!" she snarled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I came here to work with you to help the Animals – to ask you to stop the bad things that are happening to them. I thought you were wonderful and then I found out that you are responsible for it all! Of course I'm angry!" She was seething, actually.

"I can see that." Oscar tapped his fingers against one another. "Elphaba... you don't understand. When I came here –"

"You already told me that story," she hissed. "There are many other things you could have done to unite the people of Oz. You did not have to mistreat the Animals for that and I will _not_ forgive you for that."

"Won't you?" Oscar asked. "I am your father... and please, Elphaba, would you stop pacing? You're wearing a ditch in my floor."

"I don't care about your floor!" she snapped. "Be happy I'm still here – because I swear to Oz that if it weren't for the fact that you turned out to be," she choked a little on the words, "my father, I would have been out of here a long time ago!"

"You know that we couldn't have let you leave," said Oscar calmly and her eyes narrowed.

"Try me."

"No." He folded his hands. "I think we could achieve much more if we worked together, Elphaba."

"I don't want to work with you." She shook her head violently. "Not anymore. Never. You don't even have any real power!"

"That is fair enough, I suppose. Although you should never underestimate political power – the power of propaganda. I may not have magic, but I have other things." He hesitated. "Elphaba... I know I have been wrong and I am willing to make changes in exchange for your cooperation. Changes that would be beneficial for the Animals."

She stopped pacing and stilled. She wanted to scream at him and unleash her magic at him more than anything, but she recognised an opportunity when one presented itself and she knew she had to think about this. It wouldn't do the Animals any good for her to snap and get herself thrown into Southstairs, but if she could convince the Wizard to try and help them instead of make them out to be the bad guys...

She shook her head. "I need to think about this."

"Of course!" Oscar nodded. "I understand. Why don't you go back to your hotel now, Elphaba, and come back tomorrow morning. Sleep on it. We'll talk and I'll pay for you to stay in the Emerald City until we have worked something out between the two of us, all right?"

She supposed that was a decent proposal. At least she'd be able to think about it some more and talk it over with...

Fiyero. Oh. Right. She still had to deal with that, too. A heavy tiredness suddenly settled on her, as if someone dumped a bag full of bricks on her shoulders. She wished she was back at Shiz. Or perhaps she wished she had never gone to Shiz at all. No invitation to meet the Wizard. No Madame Morrible. No Fiyero. No Galinda and no other friends, either, but perhaps that would have been for the best. She should have stayed home and been content caring for Nessa.

"All right," she agreed quietly.

Just then, the door opened and Madame Morrible poked her head in, pretending to be cheerful. "And?" she asked. "Have you come to a decision yet?"

Oscar smiled. "Elphaba will think about my proposal, Madame," he said, rising to his feet, "and she will return in the morning so that we can discuss the details."

Morrible took him aside for some privacy, but Elphaba could still make out what they were saying.

"Do you think that is wise, Your Ozness?" Morrible asked in a hushed tone of voice. "She knows too much. We can't just let her go – what if she tells others what she found out today? We can't have her causing riots. The people are already displeased."

"You worry too much," Oscar told her. "It will be fine. I promised her I would revoke the Animal Banns and we will negotiate any other conditions she might have. I believe she will join us."

"Revoke the Animal Banns?!" Morrible echoed incredulously. "Your Ozness, you will lose power over the people!"

"I will find a way," he said. "Right now, getting Elphaba to help me is the most important thing and she will never be on our side as long as I don't fix the situation with the Animals. Besides," he added, "it wasn't proving to be very successful, anyway. There have been riots amongst the people already and there are rumours about a rebellion. I think revoking the Banns would be a wise move."

Morrible hesitated, then curtseyed. "As you say, Your Ozness."

Had Elphaba looked closer, she would have noticed the gleam in Morrible's eye and the twitch of her fingers as she moved back; but the green girl was too focused on the thoughts running through her head and her frantic wondering about what to do next to notice. Not that she would have been able to do anything if she had.

The Wizard didn't notice anything amiss, either. Not until an explosion suddenly rocked the throne room, causing the floor to shake and rubble to come down from the ceiling. The lights went out and the Wizard's large, mechanical head exploded in a downpour of sparks as Elphaba was flung to the floor, the impact driving the air from her lungs.

She'd seen it this time. Just before the explosion had happened, Elphaba had seen Morrible's hand twitch and the realisation that hit her took her breath away. Morrible had done this. But why?

The young witch struggled back to her feet from where she had fallen down, something wet trickling down the side of her face and her entire body aching. She gasped when she saw Oscar lying motionless and pale on the floor, covered in rubble.

She spun to face Morrible; but before she could even open her mouth, the doors were thrown open and guards came streaming into the room. Some of them gaped at the state the room was in while a few others ran over to where the Wizard was lying. The leader of the group took in Elphaba and Morrible.

"Are you two all right?" he demanded. "What happened?"

Morrible's arm rose and she pointed a trembling finger at Elphaba.

"It was her!" she cried. "That witch attacked our Wonderful Wizard!"

* * *

 **STOP... cliffy time! *starts doing the Hammer dance***


	4. Thinking Out Loud

**4\. Thinking Out Loud**

When a maid came to tell him that he had another visitor waiting for him in the foyer, Fiyero's heart skipped a beat. Elphaba. Or... wouldn't she just have come up to their room? He frowned, following the maid down the hallway and to the foyer downstairs. Perhaps it was Gazilon, coming to tell him that Elphaba never wanted to see him again. He shook his head, trying to get rid of the miserable thought, but it stuck stubbornly in his mind.

His frown deepened when the only person he found in the foyer was a red-faced servant, who turned upon hearing the footsteps and asked, "Your Highness?"

Fiyero nodded and the servant exhaled audibly. The prince noticed that he seemed out of breath, as if he had been running, and his mouth suddenly went dry.

"Mr Damaran sent me," the servant said, still panting a little. "He told me to get you and to hurry back as soon as possible. He said it's about Miss Elphaba."

Fiyero went icy cold. "What about her?"

"I don't know, Your Highness." The servant shook his head helplessly. "All I know is that Mr Damaran sent me here to bring you back to his house and that he said we had to hurry."

"Take me there," Fiyero commanded and the servant hurried out of the hotel and into the streets with Fiyero right on his heels. They criss-crossed through streets and alleys, dodging other pedestrians as they went, and the servant led Fiyero in through a back door.

"Mr Damaran is in a guest room upstairs," the servant explained quickly. "Down this hallway, up the stairs, and then the second door to the right."

Fiyero was so anxious that he forgot to even thank the man before dashing off in the direction the servant had pointed him.

He found Gazilon sitting on the edge of the bed, talking quietly to someone. Fiyero skidded to a halt in the doorway and saw that it was Elphaba the other man was talking to. She was curled up on the bed, her knees drawn to her chest and her arms wrapped around them, with tear streaks on her cheeks and blood covering one side of her face.

"Fae," the prince breathed and she looked up and burst into fresh tears. He exchanged a worried look with Gazilon before moving over to the bed and gathering her in his arms. She buried her face in his chest and clung to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He held her tightly as he let her cry into his shirt, although he was wondering frantically what could have happened to make her so upset.

"Fae?" he asked when she seemed to be calming down a little. "What happened?"

She shook her head, the occasional sob still racking her body. She was shaking all over, he noticed with faint alarm. "Sweetheart, please talk to me."

"Tell him, El," Gazilon urged her, but she shook her head once more and hid her face in Fiyero's shirt again, so Gazilon told him what he had heard from Elphaba – about her meeting the Wizard, their discovery that he was her father, her finding out about his real agenda, his offer, and then about what Madame Morrible had done.

Whilst listening to the story, Fiyero's grip on her had tightened almost painfully and she had finally calmed down. "How did she escape?" he asked Gazilon, his voice not sounding like his own at all.

Elphaba herself answered this time. "The guards came after me," she said, her voice quiet and shaking, "so I ran. They had me trapped at some point and I got so scared that my magic got out of control..." She faltered, horror fleeting across her face. "That probably only convinced them of my wickedness even further," she muttered, wincing a little. "Morrible called me a wicked witch... my magic blew those guards to the floor and I managed to get out of the Palace and lose them in the crowd. I went straight back here – I would have gone to you instead, but Morrible knew where I was staying. I was afraid she'd send guards to catch me at the door." She swallowed, more tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm a public enemy now, Yero," she whispered. "A criminal. I should... I should get out of here. You're committing treason by helping me – both of you." She tried to extract herself from Fiyero's grip. "I should go..."

"Don't you dare," he hissed fiercely, tightening his grip on her even further and pulling her back into his arms. "You're not going anywhere. Not without a plan."

"I'll think of something –"

"And not without me."

That silenced her – for a moment. She opened and closed her mouth a few times and then shook her head. "Yero –"

"I love you, Elphaba," he said simply. "I'm not going to leave you alone. Especially not now."

She looked up at him with huge, dark eyes. "But last night, with that girl..."

His heart broke when he realised what she must have thought. "Oh, Fae... I swear that I was telling the truth last night," he said, a catch in his voice. "I'm so sorry that happened, but I didn't _want_ it to happen. I know I've been a jerk in the past, but... I love you. Only you. I could never imagine myself being with someone else and I promise that I won't leave you unless you want me to. Ever."

More tears welled up in her eyes and he stroked her hair, cradling her as she cried and exchanging another look with Gazilon over her head. He didn't know what to do. He had no idea how to help her. All he knew was that he wouldn't – couldn't – leave her alone.

The full magnitude of what was happening suddenly hit him, taking his breath away. She was a fugitive now. A wanted criminal. She could turn herself in and hope she could prove her innocence, but he knew everyone would believe Madame Morrible, the Wizard's beloved Press Secretary, over an unfamiliar young girl with green skin. He did not know what state the Wizard was in – if he was relatively all right, he would surely tell the people that it had not been Elphaba who had caused the explosion. If not, however...

"Here's the plan," he said to Gazilon, still rocking Elphaba back and forth. "I'm going to go out into the streets to see if I can find out what happened to the Wizard. He is the only one who could testify to Elphaba's innocence. If he's dead or too gravely injured to be able to say anything, then we'll have to keep hiding her. The alternative would be her going to Southstairs and I'm not letting that happen."

Elphaba made a little sound in her throat and Fiyero pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Gaz, can you take care of her?"

"Of course," Gazilon assured the prince. "She'll be safe here until you return."

The prince nodded. "I'll stop by our hotel room, too, to grab our things," he said. "I know it's risky, but she brought some spell books to the City that she might have need of later. If there are any guards there to search for her, I'll just wait until they leave again before going in, but I think I should at least try. We'll need everything that could help us with this."

Gazilon opened his arms and Fiyero gingerly handed Elphaba over to him. She clung to him, but he pried her arms from around his waist and cupped her chin, making her look at him.

"Fae," he said, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, "you'll be okay. I promise. I won't let anything happen to you. Do you trust me?"

She nodded and he smiled at her. "I'll be back soon," he promised, kissing her softly on the lips before pulling away and leaving her in Gazilon's care.

* * *

When Fiyero returned to Gazilon's house and heard shouting from upstairs, he quickened his pace, all but running up the stairs to the guest room. The sight that greeted him, however, made him smile.

Elphaba was on her feet, scowling at Gazilon, who was standing a few strides away with a wet cloth in his hand. "That hurts!" she accused him.

He held up his hands in self-proclaimed innocence. "El, I need to clean that cut! If you'd just sit still –"

"If you'd just stop being so stubborn and give me the Oz-damned cloth, I could do it myself!"

Fiyero chuckled from the doorway. "Well, someone is back to her old self."

Elphaba glared at him. Gazilon looked relieved he was here. "Fiyero. Can't you talk some sense into her? That cut needs cleaning, but she won't let me anywhere near it."

"That's because you're going about it all wrong," Fiyero told him, taking the cloth from him and approaching Elphaba. She eyed him warily and scowled when it seemed like he was going to try to clean her wound for her; instead, however, he just held out the cloth and she took it from him wordlessly, sitting down at the vanity and carefully dabbing at the cut herself.

Gazilon crossed his arms. "Stubborn mule."

She poked her tongue out at him via the mirror and Fiyero grinned.

"Don't look so smug," she warned the prince. "It took you well over a year to learn that I hate it when you try to do things for me that I am perfectly capable of doing myself."

He rolled his eyes and Gazilon asked, "What did you find out?"

The prince sighed, sinking down onto the edge of the bed. "Well, I got our things," he said. "There were indeed guards, but they left pretty quickly – they probably realised Elphaba hadn't been back in our hotel room after fleeing the Palace. I managed to pack our bags and take them back here. That's the good news."

Elphaba slowly turned to look at him and Gazilon asked apprehensively the question that was on both their minds. "What's the bad news?"

Fiyero sighed again. "The Wizard," he said miserably. "He's unconscious and they don't know what state he'll be in once he wakes up. At this point, they're not even sure if he will wake up at all. Word is already spreading – Morrible has instantly put out a declaration that the Wizard has been attacked by a witch with green skin. It's all everyone is talking about right now."

Elphaba swore under her breath and Gazilon put his head in his hands. "So now what?"

"Now," said Fiyero, looking from Gazilon to Elphaba and back, "we need to get Fae out of the City as soon as possible. Perhaps if we keep her hidden long enough, Morrible will eventually forget about her and seize her search."

"I doubt it," Elphaba muttered, looking pained. "I overheard their conversation. The Wizard was willing to make changes to get me to work with him – restore the Animals' rights, adjust some of his policies, those kinds of things. Morrible didn't agree with him. She thinks I know too much and she's afraid I will speak out. That means she has to either find me and make sure I keep my mouth shut; or she has to make sure no-one will believe a word I say. If she can't get her hands on me, I'm afraid this is going to be a very big and public witch hunt."

His heart sank. He knew she was right. "What do we do, then?"

"Perhaps I could find a way to wake up the Wizard," said Elphaba. "A spell, maybe. I could certainly look for one. The only problem is that we can't stay here," she said, looking at Gazilon. "Sooner or later, they're going to find out I know someone in the Emerald City and they're going to come here to question you."

"I'll hide you," Gazilon promised, but she shook her head.

"You've already done enough," she said. "I won't put you in any more danger than I already have. It's bad enough that _he_ insists on coming along," she added with a glare in Fiyero's direction.

He scowled. "You're going to be mad at me now for not leaving you? Really?"

She deflated, heaving a sigh. "No," she admitted. "Of course not. It's not like I _want_ you to go, Yero. I just don't... I hate the thought of putting you in danger."

"I'm putting myself in danger," he corrected her, "and I would do it a thousand times more for you, if I had to. You know that."

She let out a sound that was something between a sob and a laugh. "I should have known," she said sadly. "Maybe if I'd realised, if I hadn't snapped and run off on you... you'd have been there with me. In the Palace. Maybe things would have been different now if you had been."

"Or maybe Morrible would have done what she did anyway," Gazilon piped up, "and Fiyero would have been hurt – or worse – in the explosion."

Elphaba looked shocked and Gazilon shook his head at her. "There's no use dwelling on what could have happened, El," he said, explaining his point. "It could have ended better, but it also could have ended much worse. We'll never know. What matters now is how we deal with the situation as it is." He grimaced, biting his lip. "And I might just have an idea."

* * *

 **See, guys? The Fiyeraba is fixed already!**

 **Favourite lines?**


	5. Out of the Furnace

**You guys are right in not trusting me. That's all I'll say for now. This is going to be a really long fic, I think, so brace yourselves.**

* * *

 **5\. Out of the Furnace**

"Wait, wait, wait." Elphaba held up both hands. "So you're saying you know a member of a resistance movement against the Wizard?"

"Perhaps," said Gazilon carefully and the green girl rolled her eyes.

"You do," she concluded. "How? You never really struck me as a resistance kind of guy."

"Which is why I am not a part of any resistance movement," he replied immediately. "But that doesn't mean I don't know anyone who is. It's a big city, El, and I've come to know a lot of people."

Fiyero piped up from where he was standing by the window. "That's all irrelevant, though. What matters is that that resistance acquaintance of yours can get Elphaba to safety. Right?"

"Right," Gazilon agreed. "I can contact her and she can smuggle both of you out of the city and to a safe place – or relatively safe, anyway. That should give you two enough time to try and find a spell to help the Wizard. With a bit of luck, you'll find one soon, he'll wake up and testify, and this whole mess will be over in a few days."

Elphaba smiled wryly. "I've always loved your optimism."

"And I've always been amazed at your pessimism," Gazilon retorted, but she just shook her head.

"It'll never be that easy," she said. "Even if I do find a spell, I'd need to get close to the Wizard to cast it. That means I'd have to find a way not just into the Emerald City, but into the Emerald Palace as well – not to mention into a heavily guarded room. He's the ruler of Oz. It's not going to be easy for me to get close to him."

"Oh." Gazilon faltered. "Right."

"We'll figure something out," Fiyero said firmly. "One thing at a time. Gaz, why don't you contact that acquaintance of yours? I'll get Fae cleaned up and we could perhaps work out something more of a plan."

Gazilon nodded and left the room; and Fiyero steered Elphaba into the bathroom, rummaging through the luggage he had brought from the hotel to find her a clean dress as she washed up. When she emerged again, her skin and hair now clean of dust and blood, Fiyero directed her towards the bed, urging her to sit down on the edge as he opened the small box with bandages Gazilon had found for him.

Elphaba sighed irritably. "I can do that myself –"

"I can see it better," he cut her off sternly. "You're letting me do this and that's the end of it."

She rolled her eyes, but stayed still as he assessed the now-clean cut on her forehead.

"It doesn't need stitches," he decided. "It's mostly superficial, but I'm going to close it up with some small bandages nonetheless. Hold still."

"Yes, Mum," she mocked him and he scowled at her. She chuckled. "Sometimes I don't know why I even put up with you," she teased.

"Because you love me," he informed her. "And because you know I'm always trying to let you do more things on your own, but these are special circumstances. Now would you please stop shaking your head?" he complained. "Everything I just said is true and I can't work on your cut like this!"

She smiled faintly, staying still as he quickly cleaned the cut once more and rummaged in the box. "I do, you know."

Fiyero carefully applied the small bandages to her wound and sat back to look at his work critically. He nodded, satisfied. "You do what?"

"Love you," she said quietly.

He looked at her, then put his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "I know, sweetheart," he murmured, resting his chin on the top of her head. "I love you, too. We'll figure this out. We've figured out everything else in the past – we can do this, too."

"This is a bit more serious than the things that have happened in the past, though," she pointed out wearily, but he just shook his head.

"We'll manage," he insisted. "We'll be fine. As long as we have each other, we'll be okay – and I'm never leaving you. I hope you know that."

She pressed her cheek to his chest and closed her eyes, relishing in the safe feeling of being in his arms. She doubted whether he was right about them being able to figure everything out together – this was quite a lot to figure out, after all; but she appreciated the sentiment and it comforted her that she at least did not stand alone in this. She was sure she could have handled being by herself and she still hated the fact that Fiyero would put himself in danger, but at the same time she was grateful to have him by her side, no matter what. It strengthened her conviction to fix this situation.

Gazilon returned to the room not long thereafter. "She's on her way," he said and Elphaba frowned.

"You said "she" before," she noted. "Your acquaintance in the resistance is a _woman_?"

Gazilon quirked an eyebrow at her. "You of all people should know that women are perfectly capable of looking out for themselves and fighting for a cause they believe in, Miss Elphaba," he said mockingly and she had to admit that he was right.

Her friend smiled at her. "She'll get you and Fiyero out of the City," he said, "and she will take you to one of the resistance's safe houses, from where you'll probably leave for a hide-out. Don't get me wrong – this will probably be tricky – but I'm sure you'll be fine. Swan is good at what she does."

"Swan?" Fiyero echoed and Gazilon nodded.

"A code name," he explained. "I do know her real name, but I'm not allowed to tell anyone. It's all a bit complicated." He grinned sheepishly. "I never really understood everything about the resistance and honestly, I never really wanted to, either. I'm not cut out for that sort of thing."

Elphaba was studying him thoughtfully. "I think you are cut out for much more than you think you are," she said softly, meeting his gaze, "but I understand why you wouldn't want to get involved."

"Thank you," he said simply and she nodded.

He turned around. "Does anyone feel like lunch? I'm starving," he said and Fiyero's eyes lit up.

"Me, too!"

Elphaba rolled her eyes and muttered, "Men," under her breath, but she still followed the two of them downstairs and actually wolfed down four sandwiches, which was more than Fiyero had ever seen her eat before. When he commented on it, however, she said with her mouth still half-full, "We don't know where things will go from here, you know. Our next decent meal might be days or even weeks away." The prince, realising that she was right, then quickly stuffed another sandwich into his mouth.

After they had each had their fill, Elphaba and Fiyero went back upstairs to sort through their things and see if they needed to bring anything else. Elphaba stacked spell books on top of one another in her bag, looking at each one critically.

"I don't even know what I'm looking for," she complained. "I have no idea which of these books could help me wake up the Wizard. I bought them from some kind of magic shop back in Shiz, but I don't even know if they are useful, and they're so heavy to drag around..."

"You might need them, though," Fiyero told her, taking half of her books and packing them in his own bag. "It's probably better to bring along too many than leave one behind that might hold the answer. You could always discard them later."

"You're right." She sighed and folded her clothes, stuffing them in beside the spell books. She hadn't brought a lot of clothes, since the trip was only supposed to last for three days; and she had not brought much more than those clothes and her spell books – just some toiletries, the hat Galinda had given her, and her mother's green glass bottle.

Fiyero, on the other hand, was having trouble fitting all the clothes and useless stuff he had brought along into his bag and Elphaba amused herself for a while by watching him before offering to put some of his things in her own bag. He gratefully accepted the offer and soon he finished packing, too. As he looked around the room to see if he had missed anything, another book caught his eye and he held it up for Elphaba to see. "Is this yours?"

She gasped softly when she saw it and took it from him, the tips of her fingers tracing the letters on the cover. "This... this was the Wizard's," she whispered, looking up at Fiyero. "He gave it to me – he wanted me to try a spell from it... it's apparently very powerful." She looked worried. "Maybe this will only make Morrible want me even more," she said, biting her lip. "I'm sure she'll want it back. Maybe I should... Fiyero, what are you doing?" she interrupted herself when he took the book from her and pushed it between his clothes in his bag.

"If it's that powerful," he said, "it might be just what we need to help with our Wizard problem. You can have a look at it later and see if it contains something useful, but we'll definitely need to bring it along."

Elphaba opened her mouth to protest, but Fiyero cut her off gently. "Fae, Morrible is looking for you now, anyway," he said. "She's not going to stop her search if you leave this book somewhere for her to find. She might even use a spell in it to try and locate you or hurt you in some way. It's better for you to keep it. Trust me."

She closed her mouth and nodded, realising he was right, and he looked around the room again. "I think that's everything."

She heaved a shaky sigh. "I'm scared," she confessed. "I hate not knowing what will happen next. I don't even know if we can trust this Swan – what if she delivers us straight to Morrible's front door?"

"Gazilon trusts her," said Fiyero, moving forward and drawing Elphaba into his arms. "I think she will do as she promised and if not, we'll find a way to deal with it. I promise." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and then pulled away to look into her eyes. "It'll be all right," he told her, stroking her cheek. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

She bit her lip. "Are you sure you want –"

"Yes," he said firmly. The determination in his voice made her wary, but it also alleviated some of her doubts. She didn't want to drag him into this, but as she'd said before, she was glad he wanted to come along.

She leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him. He kissed her back, his arms encircling her waist.

"We'll be fine," he said again after they broke apart. He slung his bag over his shoulder and held out his free hand. "Come on. Let's go wait downstairs."

She nodded and lifted her own bag, took his hand, and followed him out of the room.

Gazilon was talking to someone in the sitting room and when he heard them coming down, he called out to them. "Guys? She's here."

Elphaba and Fiyero hesitantly entered the room and Gazilon smiled at them. "This is Swan," he said, indicating the woman across from him. "Swan, this is Fae and that is –"

Fiyero's eyes, however, had widened the moment the woman had turned around. "You!"

"Oh, my," said Swan, who turned out to be a voluptuous, beautiful Gillikinese woman with curves that even Galinda would be jealous of. Her eyes were heavily lidded, her voice husky, and her make-up impeccable. She was wearing a dark red dress that tightly hugged her forms, along with a pair of heels at her feet and expensive-looking jewellery dangling from her ears, neck, and wrists and glittering around her fingers. She was gorgeous and sexy and looked like she had come straight out of Elphaba's nightmares.

"Prince Fiyero," the woman purred, smiling. "I didn't think I'd get to see you again after last night."


	6. Moral's Compass

**I love how you suddenly all freaked out over last chapter's cliffy... I honestly thought it wasn't such a bad one!**

* * *

 **6\. Moral's Compass**

Elphaba rounded on the prince. "Last night?" she demanded.

"The prince and I have met before," Swan said, still smiling.

Elphaba's eyes narrowed and Fiyero shrunk under her gaze. "You didn't tell me that woman you kissed looked like... like..." She gestured helplessly. "Well, like _this_!"

"I didn't kiss her," he corrected her. "She kissed me. And it doesn't matter what other women look like, Fae, I told you that. Come on, don't do this again!" he pleaded. "We have other things to focus on right now!"

She snorted, but she did keep her mouth shut.

Swan smiled at the two of them. "Oh, don't worry, Miss Fae," she said, twirling a perfect brown curl around her finger. She pouted. "Your handsome prince was not in the least interested in me. I thought he looked a little lonely in that corner all by himself and that he would like some company, but he just pushed me away."

Somehow, that didmake Elphaba feel better.

Gazilon was looking pained. "I'm guessing the secret identities I was planning on giving you won't be of much use now..."

Elphaba snorted again, still a little agitated. "Oh, Gaz, come on. He," she indicated Fiyero with her head, "is on the cover of every tabloid and his face is known by everyone, and I am the only green girl in all of Oz. I don't think secret identities would help us much."

Gazilon sighed. "I guess I hadn't thought of that... even though Fiyero is not really wanted by anyone – not yet, anyway. I hope I can trust you to be discreet," he said to Swan, who curtseyed.

"Have you ever known be to be anything but, my dear Gazilon?" she asked in her husky voice. "Trust me – no-one will find out who they are and they will not get caught. I have never been caught in my life."

He nodded. "Very well, then." He moved over to Fiyero and shook his hand. "Good luck," he said.

"Thank you," said the prince, "and thank you for your help."

"Of course." Gazilon smiled and then stepped up to Elphaba, looking her over once before pulling her into a hug.

"Stay safe," he said into her hair, "and please don't do anything rash. I know you, El, and I know Fiyero is good at keeping you in check, but you tend to fly off the handle rather easily."

"I never "fly off the handle"!" she protested and he chuckled.

"Just promise me you'll be careful," he said and she grumbled, but relented.

"I promise."

He let go of her and squeezed her hand one more time before taking a step back. "Thank you for this, Swan," he said to the beautiful brunette. "I owe you."

She smiled mischievously. "I suppose I could think of a way for you to repay your debt to me, Gazilon," she said sweetly before turning to Elphaba and Fiyero. "Right, then. The sooner we leave, the better," she said. She handed them each a long, black cloak. "Pull up your hoods," she instructed them. "We don't want anyone to see your faces."

They left Gazilon's house and went down the street, slipping into a smaller street soon and then threading through a network of small, dark alleys. This seemed to be one of the worse neighbourhoods of the Emerald City and Elphaba was looking around suspiciously. "Where are you taking us?"

"To an empty apartment near the city walls," Swan replied, taking another right turn. "We'll wait there until it gets dark. We will have to leave the City tonight – especially now that everyone is looking for you, Miss Fae, security at the gates will be sharpened and so we cannot leave in broad daylight."

Elphaba had to admit that that sounded reasonable, even though it was hard for her to think anything good about this Swan. She kept shooting reproachful glances in Fiyero's direction, but he was either ignoring them or too wrapped up in something else to catch them. Thinking about the mission, maybe, or focusing on where he was going.

Or watching Swan's perfect backside swing left and right as she walked in front of them.

Elphaba gritted her teeth and tried not to think about the other woman anymore. She tried to focus on Morrible, on the Wizard, on their plans... all that was more important than Swan, anyway. And she had to trust Fiyero. He'd told her he didn't want Swan and she should believe him.

The truth was, however, that she could not imagine him _not_ wanting Swan. If she were a man, she knew she would want Swan, too. She was the perfect woman, the dream of every man, and yet Fiyero claimed he was not interested in her. No, he'd rather have the green-skinned, freakish fugitive. _That_ was the part she found hard to believe.

As if he was sensing her thoughts, Fiyero moved closer to her and took her hand as they walked, lacing his fingers through hers and squeezing softly. She looked at him. He gave her a small smile. She sighed and looked down again, sinking once more into her gloomy thoughts.

They rounded another corner and ran straight into two Gale Force soldiers. Fiyero swore and Elphaba honestly thought her heart stopped beating for a moment.

Swan, however, appeared completely unfazed. "Good afternoon, gentlemen," she greeted them.

They grinned at her and glanced at Elphaba and Fiyero, who were huddling in their cloaks in an attempt to stay invisible. "Clients of yours?" one of the soldiers asked and Swan smiled.

"Of course," she said and she bent forward conspiratorially. "They don't want to be recognised," she said in a low whisper. "You know how that goes. You would probably recognise them, too, if you saw their faces, but they don't want their reputation blemished."

The soldiers chuckled. "Yeah, we do know how that goes," the second one agreed. He eyed Swan up and down lustfully. "When will you be done with them?"

She threw her head back and laughed. "Oh, Imiah, don't tell me you have the money to pay me?"

"I do, actually," he said smugly. "I received a bonus the other day."

Swan smirked. "Well, in that case..." She ran her fingers down his arm and leaned in to whisper something in his ear. He grinned and nodded, and she smiled and waved at him before ushering Elphaba and Fiyero forward, leaving the soldiers behind as they walked into the opposite direction.

Fiyero slowly let out the breath he had been holding. "That was close."

"Not really," said Swan over her shoulder. "How many times do you think I smuggle people past the Gale Force? I'm not a resistance member because of my good looks, you know – although I'll admit that they do help." She smiled. "No-one thinks anything of my guiding unrecognisable people down dark alleyways, trust me."

Elphaba was eyeing her critically. "You're a prostitute?" she asked, a little incredulous. For all Swan's good looks, she had not expected that.

Swan pursed her lips. "Such an unpleasant word, don't you think? Although the name does not really matter, I suppose. Yes, Miss Fae, I keep men's beds warm at night in exchange for money. Does that offend you? I can assure you that not all of us can afford going to a prestigious university and getting a good job like our dear friend Gazilon. Some of us are born in the gutter and have to work their way up somehow." She shrugged. "It isn't unpleasant work and it earns me some money. No matter how honourable resistance work is, it does not pay much."

Elphaba suddenly saw this woman in a whole new light. She knew that if her father had kicked her out of the house when she was younger, like he had always threatened to do, she could quite possibly have ended up like Swan. She wouldn't have been able to go to Shiz because she wouldn't have any money, and there were only so many ways for a woman to make her way in this world without help. She admired Swan for having to live this life and not having grown bitter about it. She still cared enough about the world to join the resistance, to help other people and Animals, and she was obviously a very optimistic person. Life on the streets had not broken her. Instead, it had made her stronger.

Swan led them, as she had told them before, to an empty apartment in a back alley. There were some mattresses on the floor and cupboards on the walls, but otherwise, there was no furniture. Swan opened one of the cupboards and nodded appreciatively.

"There is still some food left," she said as she re-joined the other two, "so we won't go hungry tonight. The bathroom is through that door, although I would advise you to not make use of it unless you absolutely have to. As you have probably guessed, there is no water."

She moved into a different room after a while, leaving Elphaba and Fiyero alone together, and the green girl huddled in her cloak. "Well, I guess this is it, then."

Fiyero leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes for a moment. "I guess so." He wasn't really looking forward to life on the run and spending all his time in hiding, but he knew he would do it. For her, there was not much he wouldn't do. Of course he would prefer living in the Emerald City with Elphaba as the Wizard's newly appointed Grand Vizier, or taking Elphaba to the Vinkus to marry her and start a family with her, over this; but he did not regret it. He could never. She was his world and he had no trouble letting her know – not even now. Or perhaps especially not now.

When she said his name, however, and he looked at her, he instantly realised that he would have a lot more proving to do before she would believe him.

She took a deep breath. "I just... this is your final chance," she said quietly. "To back out, I mean. And I'll understand it if you do."

"No," he told her flatly. "Never."

"Fiyero, once you escape this city with me, there is no turning back," she warned him. "Soon, they'll discover we are together and you'll be wanted, too, merely for being associated with me. You should go back and –"

"You're wasting your breath," he cut her off. "I'm not leaving you, Fae. Not now, not ever. You can think what you want about last night, about Swan or other pretty women, or about my feelings for you, but I'm telling you the truth. I love you. I plan on spending the rest of my life with you. I intended to do that before and that has not changed."

"The rest of your life could be cut quite short if you come with me," she whispered, but he simply shrugged.

"I'll take the risk," he said, "because as corny as this sounds, life without you isn't really worth living, anyway."

"You're right," she said snippily. "That _does_ soundcorny." He detected a hint of relief in her voice, however, and he knew she was reassured – for now, at least – that he wasn't going anywhere. She wouldn't have to go through this alone. He wouldn't let her.

She was still watching him apprehensively and he held out one arm, beckoning her. "Come here, you."

Timidly, she scooted closer and let out a small squeak when he firmly pulled her to him and put his arms around her.

"I am not going anywhere," he told her, resting his chin on the top of her head. "We're in this together and we're going to be okay."

"You keep saying that," she whispered. "What if we won't be?"

He shrugged. "We'll deal with it when it happens," he said logically. "It's no use dwelling on things that could happen. I know you, sweetheart, and I know it's hard for you not to worry about everything, but you need to just let go and see what will happen. Whatever life throws at us, we can take it. Together. Okay?"

Her voice was barely audible when she answered. "Okay."

He knew she wasn't convinced – he had to give her one of these little speeches on a regular basis, because she never really believed him. He couldn't blame her, either, after the life she had led before she'd come to Shiz. It didn't matter, though. He didn't mind convincing her and he was sure that she would realise, in time, that he meant every word he was saying.

And so they sat in silence for a while, Elphaba curled up in Fiyero's arms, waiting.

* * *

 **Look! No cliffy! Don't get used to it, though...**


	7. In the Dark of the Night

**Sorry for the delay in updating, guys! I... well, I could come up with a clever excuse, but I just forgot. (Thanks Sara, Nia, and Carsie for reminding me :P.)**

 **I'm glad you all at least sort of like Swan - I do, too.**

* * *

 **7\. In the Dark of the Night**

They left the apartment when it had become fully dark outside. Swan led them out, wearing a dark cloak with hood herself now in order to blend in with the darkness, and Fiyero and Elphaba followed her through the streets and over to the west gate of the Emerald City.

"This is going to take some effort," Swan murmured to them as she stopped just around the corner, "so just... stay put, don't come out until I tell you to, and don't give yourselves away. All right? Whatever you do."

"What are you going to do?" Elphaba asked sharply, still suspicious, but Swan merely gave her a smile.

"I'm going to get you two out of here, darling," she said, batting her eyelashes at Fiyero even as she was speaking to Elphaba, "so you'd better stay quiet and just thank me afterwards. I can think of a good way for you to do so," she added with another sultry smile and a wink in Fiyero's direction. With that and a swish of her cloak, she turned and went around the corner.

Fiyero could tell that his girlfriend was seething; but much to his surprise, she did not mention it. In fact, she didn't say anything at all as they waited for Swan to return. When he tried to take her hand, however, she merely slapped him away.

He sighed. He knew Elphaba didn't trust Swan and he understood her annoyance with the other woman, but he really didn't think it was fair of her to be mad at _him_ when Swan was the one constantly flirting with him. He knew she had been hurt last night, but he hadn't actually done anything to deserve her wrath, had he?

They heard a low whistle and despite Fiyero's hissed warning, Elphaba peeked around the corner. Then she grabbed his arm and pulled him with her. He saw Swan standing there, beckoning them, and he followed Elphaba towards the woman.

"Just play along," Swan hissed at them before sashaying towards the gate, which was guarded by two soldiers. Elphaba and Fiyero followed, a little hesitant.

"Good evening," Swan greeted the men pleasantly. "Lovely night, isn't it?"

The soldier on the right grunted. "It's a little cold, if you ask me."

The soldier on the left glared at Swan. "State your business," he barked. "What are you doing at the gate at this time?"

She flipped her hair with a coy flutter of her eyelashes. "Oh, you know, sir," she purred, running a hand down his arm suggestively. "Just some famous clients whose identities have been discovered. I've been cornered to get them out of here as soon as possible in an attempt for them to escape the scandal."

"Again?" the right soldier asked, both eyebrows raised.

The one on the left rolled his eyes. "For crying out loud, why are you still helping them?" he asked Swan in exasperation.

She giggled and said, "For the money, of course."

The right soldier was eyeing Elphaba and Fiyero up and down, even as the other one asked Swan for papers. She pulled some papers out of her purse and handed them over to the guard, who quickly checked them over and then nodded.

"This seems to be in order," he said briskly. "Move along, now."

"Hold on," the other soldier said, still studying Elphaba and Fiyero. "I want to see those papers, too. Policy, you know," he explained to Swan, never taking his eyes off her two companions.

"Oh, please just let us through," Swan pleaded, making big eyes at the man. "They really need to get out of here as quick as possible – the tabloids will be full of gossip tomorrow and by then, they want to be long gone!"

The soldier shook his head. "I'm sorry, Miss," he said. "Like I said – it's policy. We've had too many criminals sneaking out of the city lately and Madame Morrible has given orders to look out for a specific person this time – the witch that attacked our Wonderful Wizard. We have orders to check everyone over thoroughly before letting them through."

Elphaba tensed, her heart hammering in her chest. Fiyero wished he could comfort her somehow, but he couldn't touch her without drawing the guards' attention and they would certainly find it suspicious if Swan's two clients were holding hands.

Swan, however, seemed completely unperturbed when she sighed. "If you knew who these people are..." She trailed off. "They simply _cannot_ afford another scandal, sir."

"Another?" Now the guard looked intrigued. "Who are they, then?"

Swan bit her lip as if reluctant to give the man the information he asked for, but then she approached Fiyero and before he could stop her, she threw back his hood.

"Fiyero Tiggular, sir," she announced, even as Fiyero's eyes went wide with shock and Elphaba gasped beside him. "The crown prince of the Vinkus."

One of the guards whistled and the other burst out laughing. "You're right," he hiccupped, wiping tears from his eyes. "He could _not_ use another scandal. Sweet Oz, Your Highness! I heard you were in a long-term relationship now – everyone thought you were finally settling down!"

Fiyero, realising what Swan's purpose had been, played along. "Please don't tell anyone," he begged the two men. "If my girlfriend finds out..."

The left guard was still chuckling. "We won't tell a soul, Your Highness," he assured the prince. "Best move along now and get back to your lady before she starts suspecting something."

"Thank you," Fiyero said, not even having to pretend to be relieved, and the two soldiers let them pass without another hitch, their laughter still ringing in the night air as Fiyero, Elphaba, and Swan moved along.

It was only when the city gate was almost completely out of sight that Fiyero exhaled slowly. "Swan, you nearly gave me a heart attack."

"And not just him," Elphaba said, her voice shaking a little. "For a moment there, I honestly thought you were betraying us."

"Now really, Miss Fae," said Swan, glancing at the younger girl, "would I do such a thing?"

"How should I know?" Elphaba retorted. "We don't even know you."

Swan smirked. "Touché. I would not betray you, hon – either of you. Betraying you would be betraying the cause and there is a reason I joined the rebels to begin with. I merely thought exposing Prince Fiyero here as a naughty little nobleman would prod that guard into giving in – especially since, given our dear prince's reputation, no-one would really be surprised."

Fiyero grimaced. "That is probably true."

Swan smiled. "I was counting on them not yet having found out that the prince is with Miss Fae here. If they'd seen you," she said to Elphaba, "we'd have had a big problem."

"What about the papers?" asked Elphaba. "Why didn't you just show them to both guards and get it over with?"

"One of them was actually one of us," she said. "Those papers I had merely contained some made-up nonsense, which is why his colleague could not see them. We have resistance members everywhere and they are always willing to help out, but sometimes we have to put up a show for the sake of the non-rebels among us, lest we be caught."

"Won't you get in trouble?" the green girl asked. "Once they do find out Fiyero is with me, they'll remember you smuggling him out of the City..."

"I'll just pretend I didn't know anything about all that," Swan said, shrugging. "I'm good at acting, as you may have noticed. They might question me, but they'll let me go soon enough once they realise I simply thought you and Prince Fiyero to be scandalised noblemen."

"I'm impressed," Elphaba admitted and Swan chuckled.

"I'm not so bad, then, am I, Miss Fae?" she asked in amusement.

Elphaba glared at her. "Well, you _did_ try to seduce my boyfriend," she said pointedly.

Swan laughed even harder. "Of course I did," she said, giggling. "He's darling and how could I have known that he was taken?"

"You know now," Elphaba said a little icily, "and you're still flirting with him."

"Honey, I flirt with everyone," Swan told her. "Did you not see me with those guards just now? If it makes you feel better, though, I'll apologise for flirting with your boyfriend and I'll try not to do it again. Okay?"

Elphaba grumbled a little, at which Swan only grinned and turned back around as she continued to lead them down the road to a forest some distance away. It was strange, given the fact that the forest was even darker than the road had been and the atmosphere was rather ominous; but Elphaba actually felt safer once they were walking between the trees. Fiyero, however, ducked deeper into his cloak and kept looking around nervously.

They were all silent as they walked and Elphaba found herself lost in thought. It didn't seem completely real yet; her brain had difficulty grasping the fact that she was really a wanted fugitive now. She'd be on the run from now on, at least until she could find a way to heal the Wizard... _if_ she could heal the Wizard. She imagined having to run and hide for weeks, months, or even years from now and she started second-guessing her decision to leave. Shouldn't she have stayed and tried to defend herself? Surely she'd have gotten a trial and she'd have been able to prove that it hadn't been her.

Or not. There was no proof, after all, apart from her own word; and she knew they would sooner believe Morrible.

But this... she suddenly realised that she probably would not see Galinda again for a long, long time. She would most likely not even be able to write – it would be too dangerous. Gazilon would tell the blonde that Elphaba and Fiyero were okay, she was sure of that, but she knew she would miss her best friend terribly.

She wouldn't see Nessarose, either. Her little sister would be at home in Munchkinland, waiting for Elphaba to return from the Emerald City... but she wouldn't come. It suddenly felt like someone squeezed Elphaba's throat shut. How could she do this to her sister? Nessa would have to be helped by someone else, all the while wondering where the green girl had gone, and then sooner or later she'd find out through a letter from Galinda or Gazilon – or worse, through the newspaper – that Elphaba was on the run now, a criminal... that she wasn't coming back. She would be devastated and she would probably blame Elphaba, too, for what had happened. So would her father.

Her father. What would he say? She'd never be able to return to Munchkinland now – he wouldn't want her anywhere near his home. If she did return, he'd kick her out instantly. He had never loved her, but this... this would be too much for him to bear. He'd see it as yet another disgrace she had brought upon their family and he would hate her for it.

"I can't do this," she whispered aloud, slowing. How could she hurt her sister like that? As if Nessa had not been through enough already! She couldn't walk and she didn't have a mother because of Elphaba and the young witch had always tried her hardest to be there for Nessa and fulfil those roles – to be her legs whenever she could and to act like a mother throughout Nessa's childhood. She'd taken away her mother and her ability to walk and now, by doing this, she would take Nessa's sister away from her as well. Hadn't she done enough damage already?

She stopped walking and said again, louder this time, "I can't do this." She knew her voice sounded a little panicky, but she didn't care. She had to go back. She turned, trying to see something between the trees. Was the road that way? "I'm going back and I'm going to turn myself in."

Fiyero was in front of her in a heartbeat, blocking her way. "Are you insane?" he demanded. "Do you _want_ to be locked up in a prison cell?"

"I can't do this, Fiyero," she said again, suddenly near tears. "I can't do this to... to Galinda, or to Nessa... I'm all she has left, I can't leave her! My father would kill me with his own two hands if I did this and I... I just can't _do_ this to them. Or to you. I've spent my entire life hurting people in one way or another. I just want it to stop."

"Elphaba!" He was shocked by what she was implying. He'd known, of course, all about her blaming herself for her mother's death and basically for every other bad thing that had ever happened to the people she loved; but he'd thought she was getting better. He, Galinda, and even Gazilon and Cohvu had tried to convince her that none of those things were true and he had honestly thought they were succeeding.

Now, however, he was not so sure; but perhaps she was just emotional because of everything that was going on. It wasn't nothing, after all, and he knew it had to be affecting her a lot more than she had let on so far.

"Elphaba," he said again, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Listen to me." When she refused to meet his gaze, he moved one hand to tip her chin up.

"You have _not_ spent your entire life hurting people," he said sternly. "None of those things were your fault and I'll keep telling you that until you believe it, even if I have to say it every day for the rest of our lives. Understood?"

She lowered her gaze, but she nodded, hugging herself. He could see the tears she was trying to hide, however, and those told him how scared she really was. Elphaba had never cried a lot; he didn't think he'd ever seen her break down twice in one day before today.

He pulled her into his arms. "I know this won't be easy," he said quietly as she buried her face in his shoulder. "We have to leave everything and everyone behind and that won't be a walk in the park. But I will not allow you to feel guilty for leaving our friends behind. You don't have a choice, sweetheart. I'm sorry, but that's the truth. You have to. Gazilon will explain things to Galinda and Nessa. They will understand, I'm sure of it."

"But –"

"Your father is the last thing you should worry about right now," he continued, ignoring her protests. "I mean, come on – when was the last time you gave _his_ opinion a second thought?"

She remained quiet, which told him that at the very least, she was considering his words.

"It will be hard," he said, gently tucking a stray lock of raven hair behind her ear and meeting her wide-eyed gaze, "but we'll be okay. And I do not want you to feel guilty about my coming along, either, because I told you – that's my choice, not yours. You can call me brainless and stupid for that, and maybe I am, but I love you and I'm not going to let you do this alone. Let's just... pretend that this is an adventure."

She looked at him sceptically. "An adventure?"

"Yeah," he said brightly. "Like in one of those books I used to love as a kid in which the hero has to go on some sort of quest to reach a goal. This is our quest. Finding a spell to cure the Wizard and clear your name is our goal. It's a little dangerous and we'll face many obstacles, but it's also exciting and we will reach our goal in the end."

She was chuckling now, despite the tears still pooling in her eyes. "Oh, Fiyero, life doesn't work that way."

"Pretend it does," he said. "Maybe it _really_ does. And otherwise just think of it this way – it will be an amazing story to tell our children and grandchildren."

She stared at him.

He smiled and kissed her gently before taking her hand. "Come on, Fae."

She followed him.

* * *

 **Yes, I just gave you two cliffyless chapters in a row. Let me tell you this much: for this story, that's going to be a very rare thing.**


	8. Into the Depths

**8\. Into the Depths**

The sun was already starting to rise by the time they reached a cottage in the woods and Swan reached into the bodice of her dress and pulled out a key. She opened the door to the cottage and beckoned for Elphaba and Fiyero to follow her inside.

"You'll spend the day here," she explained. "It's not safe for us to travel by daylight – I'm sorry, Miss Fae, but your skin is sort of obvious. You'll wait here until it gets dark and you can catch some sleep."

"Sleep sounds good," Fiyero agreed. He expected Elphaba to quip about him being a spoilt, lazy prince, but she remained silent. Now that he thought about it, she hadn't said a word since he had convinced her not to go back and turn herself in. Of course, given the circumstances, it was probably normal for her to not really be herself, but he still worried a little.

"There should be some food... ah." Swan pulled some things from a cupboard and stalled them out on the table. "Help yourself. I will be leaving now – I have to get back to the City."

Elphaba's head shot up in alarm. "Leaving?" she asked shrilly. "What about us?"

"You'll be picked up tomorrow morning by another member of the resistance," Swan replied calmly. "He will take you to a safe place. The resistance has set up several hide-outs for those who have opposed the Wizard and Madame Morrible's policies and are wanted for it, or for the Animals themselves. You will be able to stay there, at least for the time being, as you try to find a way to clear your name." She licked her lips seductively as she glanced at Fiyero. "I _so_ hope to see you again, though," she added flirtatiously.

Elphaba's eyes narrowed. "You said –"

"I'm sorry." Swan giggled. "Old habit."

Fiyero was watching Elphaba curiously. He would have to talk to her later, he decided – there was definitely something off. The circumstances would probably explain a lot about her jealousy and her crying, but it was very unlike her to act like this.

"I'll go now," said Swan, looking at them both. "You just... stay here and don't go wandering about. Get some rest and eat a little. I'm going to lock the door behind me – whoever is coming to pick you up will have a key. If someone tries to get into the house without a key, you'll know you're in trouble. In that case, there's a secret trapdoor beneath that rug over there." She pointed through the open door at a frayed rug covering the floor in the small hallway that led to the back of the cottage. "Hide until they're gone. If circumstances are _really_ dire, make a run for it and try to find the resistance member coming for you. You won't be able to get to any of the hide-outs on your own – they're well-hidden and you won't be able to find them."

They both nodded obediently at everything she said and she disappeared out of the door with a small wave and a, "Good luck, you two", before closing and locking the door behind her.

Left alone in the cottage, Fiyero shrugged off his cloak and draped it over the back of a nearby chair before digging into the food. It was not fresh and it was not much, but he was starving after an entire night of walking.

Elphaba slowly took off her own cloak and started wandering about the cottage. It was not big; they had entered into a combined kitchen and living room and she could see into the small hallway where the trapdoor lay underneath the old rug. She went over there and lifted the rug to check if Swan had been telling the truth. There was, indeed, a trapdoor built into the floor. When she dropped the rug again, the trapdoor was completely hidden, which reassured her. At least they'd have a place to hide if needed.

There were only two doors in the hallway. The one to her right led to a small bathroom; the one on her left led to an equally small bedroom, with a double bed crammed in there, leaving virtually no room for anything else.

She returned to the kitchen, where she wordlessly took the bread Fiyero offered her and tore into it, suddenly feeling hungry as well. They ate until they felt full and then they just stood there uncertainly.

"I think I'll just go to bed," said Elphaba, glancing at the hallway. "I'm really tired."

"Sounds good," Fiyero agreed and he followed her to the bedroom. There were no covers, so he went to fetch their cloaks to drape those over themselves. They pushed the bags underneath the bed, since there wasn't much room for them anywhere else here. Elphaba sat down on the side of the bed and Fiyero quickly checked the cut on her temple, which seemed to be healing nicely so far, before they both lay down.

Elphaba settled down on her side with her back towards him and he wrapped his arm around her waist to draw her closer and to be able to look at her facial expression. She tried to squirm away from him, but he tightened his grip on her.

"Fae," he said. "What's wrong?"

She snapped. "What's wrong?!" she echoed incredulously, turning around to look at him with fire in her eyes. "Well, I don't know – maybe the fact that the entire Gale Force is looking for me because they think I attacked their Wizard? Or maybe it's having to leave my best friend and my sister behind without being able to contact them? The prospect of not being able to cure the Wizard and having to be on the run forever – could _that_ be it?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and he winced.

"Of course. I know, Fae." He sighed. "I'm sorry, that did not come out well. It's just... you haven't been acting like yourself and I'm worried about you."

She softened a little. "I'm fine." She paused. "Or, well, as fine as I could be with everything going on, I guess. It's just a lot to take in, you know?"

He nodded in understanding. "I know." He hesitated and one glance at his face told her what he wanted to ask her, but didn't.

"I'm sorry for being so hostile towards Swan," she muttered, feeling her cheeks heating up. "It was a little uncalled for, I guess."

"A little," Fiyero said carefully. "I don't blame you, Fae, I really don't – especially not after the fight we had and after what I did to you two years ago – but your reaction seemed a little out of proportion, somehow."

"I know. It was." She bit her lip. "It's just that... I _know_ she was only teasing, and I _know_ you would never look twice at her – even though that is still hard to believe for me," she admitted. "I still don't know why you're so intent on staying with the green bean – the _criminal_ green bean, mind you – when you could have someone like Swan –"

"Elphaba," he began menacingly and she smiled faintly.

"I know, I know. Let's not get into that. That's an entirely different discussion." She furrowed her brow, searching for a way to explain things to him. "I realised, though, that you... you're all I have left. I can't reach Galinda for the time being, or Nessa, or even Cohvu or Boq or Gazilon or just... anyone. I'd be all alone if it weren't for you, and after everything that happened, both between the two of us over the past years and with the Wizard in the past few days, I don't think I could handle losing you." Her voice cracked a little and she blinked back tears. Oz dammit, when had she become such a crying baby?

Fiyero, however, simply folded her into his arms and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Elphaba," he said softly, "I swear to you right here, right now, that I'm not going anywhere. Okay? I've said it before and I'll say it again as many times as I have to. I love you. I've lost you once and I'm not doing that again. We're in this together, Fae, and you'll have me right by you side – not just until this mess is solved, but far beyond that, if it's up to me."

She turned large, dark eyes on him. "What if it's never solved?" she whispered.

He kissed her. "Then we'll happily live the rest of our lives in a comfortable hide-out in the woods," he told her. "We'll find a way to let Nessa, Galinda, and the others know that we're alive and where we are and they can come visit us from time to time." He knew the picture he was painting was not very realistic, but he thought she needed optimism rather than realism right now.

She snorted, however. "Yeah, right."

"Fae," he said, gazing into her eyes intently, "we'll worry about that when we have to. Okay? Let's just take things one day at a time." He drew her cloak tighter around her and kissed her forehead. "Now get some sleep."

She did not protest. Instead, she snuggled up against him and he stayed awake until her breathing evened out before allowing himself to drift off as well.

* * *

Both of them were startled awake in the middle of the day by a noise they could not instantly place. Fiyero blinked blearily for a few moments, trying to wake himself up enough to think about what this sound could possibly be and why it was disturbing his sleep; but in the time it took him to shake off his drowsiness, Elphaba was already up and cautiously making her way over to the front door, where the noise seemed to be coming from.

She shot back into the bedroom not long thereafter, cursing under her breath. "They're trying to get in," she whispered urgently to Fiyero. "They don't have a key."

"Gale Force?" asked Fiyero, instantly awake, as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed; but she shook her head.

"I don't know," she said. "They're not wearing uniforms, but I can't tell for sure who they are. We should hide, though."

He nodded and gathered their cloaks before moving into the hallway, pulling back the rug, and opening the trapdoor. He ushered her inside. She carefully clambered down the old and rather unstable ladder into the pit below the floor, just as the sound of glass breaking came from the living room. She caught the cloaks Fiyero threw at her and backed up into the small space to make room for the prince himself.

"Fiyero, hurry!" she hissed, hearing footsteps from the living room already; but when she glanced over at him, she saw, much to her astonishment and panic, that he had lowered the trapdoor behind her, effectively trapping her inside... and him outside.

She swore under her breath – because swearing was better than allowing that panicky feeling in her gut to spread. What in Oz was he doing? Why hadn't he come in after her? He'd probably heard something and decided that there was not enough time for him to climb in behind her without both of them being discovered, but she still cursed his stubbornness, and his protectiveness, and his... his everything. Stupid, stupid prince. What would happen to him now? Maybe the people coming weren't Gale Force – but then again, if they broke a window to get in, they weren't exactly good, law-abiding citizens, either. If they _were_ Gale Force, perhaps Fiyero would be able to make them leave with an excuse like the one Swan had given for him at the gates... but then again, maybe they would capture him and drag him back to some rotten prison cell in Southstairs. Or worse. Maybe these people were criminals and they would kill him because he was now a witness.

Suddenly shivering, she huddled in the two cloaks in a corner of the tiny space, but she did not feel any warmer. She knew her mind was kicking into overdrive and all the scenarios she was coming up with were very unlikely to be true, but she had never been very good at thinking rationally when the people she loved were involved. She went back to cursing Fiyero. That was easiest.

She tried to listen to what was going on upstairs. She heard the stomping of boots on the wooden floorboards, muffled cursing, and people talking quietly. There had to be at least three people there, searching the rooms and talking, although Elphaba could not distinguish what was being said. She closed her eyes and just sat there hoping with all her might that they would not discover Fiyero – or that if they did, they would at least keep him alive.

"This is perfect," someone suddenly said loudly right above her head, at which Elphaba jumped. She hadn't realised they were so close.

"We're agreed, then?"another voice asked, sounding less clear.

"Yes," said the first voice. "We'll come back here later with the load." Footsteps again, moving away from them this time. More things were being said, but they could not hear exactly what.

They were probably smugglers, she realised, searching for a place to stack their things. This cottage in the woods was perfect for that. She'd have to warn the resistance not to use this place to harbour fugitives anymore or they could get some nasty surprises.

She heard the sound of a door opening. Then an exclaimed, "Hey!" from one of the men above her and a startled yelp in a very familiar voice. She sucked in her breath.

They'd found Fiyero.

* * *

 ***cackles an evil Cliffy Queen cackle***


	9. Forest Run

**I remember writing this chapter in the car on my way back from Austria - hence the mountain stuff! (The bits about ascending much faster than you'd expect and the aching muscles and feet, among other things, are derived from my own experiences in the Austrian mountains. :P)**

* * *

 **9\. Forest Run**

She stayed frozen in place, holding her breath, as she heard running footsteps coming from the living room and moving into the hallway. Judging by the things she had heard, Fiyero had hidden himself in either the bedroom or the bathroom after locking her underneath the trapdoor and he had just been discovered by these men. She could hear the footsteps moving towards the front of the cottage again, a harsh voice barking something, and she supposed they were taking Fiyero back to the living room to question him. She bit her lip so hard she tasted blood, listening intently, but she could only hear muffled voices. They were too far away for her to understand what they were saying.

Her heart was racing and her mouth was dry. What would they do to him? On the one hand, they weren't Gale Force soldiers. They wouldn't know anything about the prince, except perhaps for the things they had read or heard about him, so they might leave him alone. On the other hand, however, they were smugglers and they probably would not be happy about the fact that someone had occupied the cottage they wanted to use as a storage space. They might decide that it would be safer to get Fiyero out of the way in case he would betray them to the authorities.

That thought sent shivers down her spine and she scrambled forward to the ladder. She started climbing it, intending to get out of this hidden space and see for herself what was happening. She knew Fiyero would kill her for coming out, but she didn't care. She couldn't just sit here and listen to Fiyero possibly being hurt, or worse, without doing anything.

She was reaching for the hatch when more sounds came from above and she stopped, tilting her head a little to the side to listen. A door slamming shut and then silence. Had they left? And if they had, what had happened to Fiyero?

She heard someone walking into the hallway and she braced herself, ready to face a potential attacker if he opened the trapdoor. When the hatch did open, however, she nearly toppled back down the ladder with relief. It was Fiyero.

"It's okay," he quickly reassured her, reaching forward to help her out. "They're gone." He tried to pull her into his arms, but she pushed him away rather roughly and then started shouting at him.

"For Oz's sake, Fiyero, why did you do that?!" she demanded, her eyes flashing and her hands on her hips. "You just _had_ to play the hero, didn't you? You couldn't just get down there after me instead of staying up here and leaving me worried sick about you!"

"There was no time for me to come after you!" he protested. "They were already coming in through the window – if I'd tried to climb down that ladder and lower the hatch above me, they'd have seen it closing and they would have found us both!"

"I don't care!" she snapped. "Just don't ever do that again! I already feel guilty enough for putting you in danger by allowing you to come with me – I can't handle losing you over something so stupid! I swear, Fiyero, if you ever try to be all noble again and put yourself at risk to protect me, I will kill you myself!"

Much to her frustration, at some point during her rant tears had welled up and spilled over – which, in her opinion, rather ruined the effect of her being angry at Fiyero. Now he'd just think she was a weak, stupid little female.

When she voiced that thought, however, after he had folded her in his arms and she was snivelling pathetically against his chest, he just chuckled. "Fae, you should know by now that I could call you many things, but "weak" would never be one of them. Neither would "stupid"."

"I don't even know why I keep crying," she sniffled. "I feel like such an idiot."

He kissed the top of her head. "You were worried. You've been through a lot and it's like you said last night – right now I'm all you have and you were afraid to lose me. I'm sorry. I should have thought of that."

She wiped her face, feeling herself flushing with embarrassment. "How are you still here, anyway?" she asked, trying to focus on something else. "I was sure I heard them find you at some point."

Fiyero looked rather sheepish and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I, um... I hid in the bedroom and I thought they'd find me sooner or later, so..." He grimaced. "I took off my shirt and I pretended to just have had a little adventure with a woman."

Elphaba stared at him. Then she burst out laughing.

"What did you tell them?" she hiccupped. "They bought that?"

He nodded, grinning as well now. "Yeah. They took me to the living room and questioned me, and I told them I'd found this cottage and thought it was a perfect place for some off-the-record mischief with a pretty lady. I told them she'd just left and I had been just about to go as well when they came in. They found that highly amusing. They were smugglers, I think, but not very serious ones. They just told me to run along and not come back and then they left."

She heaved a shaky sigh. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

He grinned. "I thought it would be nice to switch roles once," he teased her and she stuck out her tongue.

They spent the rest of the day huddled together on the bed. Neither of them managed to fall back asleep, even though Fiyero encouraged her to get some rest and promised that he would keep watch. She was too restless and he, too, jumped at every sound.

When a key finally turned in the lock and they heard the front door open, Fiyero was already moving towards the door, indicating for Elphaba to be quiet; but of course, she would have none of that and shoved past him to open the door to the living room just a crack. There was a man standing in the middle of the room, dressed in shabby clothing. Elphaba opened the door completely, despite Fiyero's hissed warnings behind her, and the man's face brightened.

"Ah," he said, striding forward to shake Elphaba's hand and then Fiyero's. "Elphaba Thropp and Fiyero Tiggular, right? You may call me Red. Follow me – we have a long walk ahead of us, so we'd better get going right away in order to make it before dawn." He turned and left the cottage, waiting for the pair to come out as well before closing and locking the door behind them. He frowned when he saw the broken window. "What happened there?"

"Smugglers," said Fiyero shortly. "They gave us quite a scare."

Red grimaced sympathetically. "I am sorry. Such things happen sometimes. Residences like this cottage are only used by the resistance for temporarily hiding fugitives, so they are not very closely monitored and other people occasionally stumble across them. I trust you handled the situation, though, given the fact that you're both here and you do not seem to be hurt." He started walking.

Fiyero shot a look at Elphaba, his eyebrows raised, but the green girl was quickening her steps to catch up with the resistance member. "How do you know our names?" she demanded. "And why don't you seem surprised at my skin?"

Red laughed. "Girl, you do realise your face is on the front page of every newspaper in Oz, right?" he asked, amused; and Elphaba stopped dead in her tracks, a horrified expression on her face.

Red turned and raised an eyebrow at her. "You attacked our Wonderful Wizard last night," he said. "His Press Secretary of course made sure that the news was printed instantly this morning. Everyone is looking out for a green witch by now. They didn't mention you," he said to Fiyero, "but of course I knew you were in a relationship with a green-skinned girl and I recognised your face the moment I saw you. You should stay out of sight from now on, too – it won't take the people too long to make that connection and once they realise the attacker of His Ozness is the same woman as the girlfriend of Prince Fiyero Tiggular..." He clicked his tongue.

Fiyero was staring at him, aghast; and Elphaba, her face pale, said shrilly, "Let's make one thing clear: I did _not_ attack the Wizard. That was Morrible. I didn't do anything. Besides – if you think I'm a criminal, then why are you helping us?"

Red shrugged. "We help everyone who stands up against the Wizard and Morrible," he said. He frowned. "Although I do wonder now why Madame Morrible would attack the Wizard. I don't suppose you're willing to enlighten me?" he asked Elphaba.

She gave him a frosty look. "Not really." She didn't trust this man and even if she did, she wasn't sure if she wanted to share her discoveries in the throne room with a stranger. Telling Fiyero and Gazilon was one thing, but she didn't need the whole world to know about her parentage.

"Never mind, then." Red started walking again, whistling softly between his teeth.

"Maybe you should tell him," said Fiyero in a low voice as they walked.

"He's obnoxious," Elphaba said with a scowl.

Fiyero chuckled. "Well, you don't have to tell _him_ ; but if you'd tell other resistance members at the hide-out, once we get there... my point is," he explained, "that if we could somehow get word out about what _really_ happened, if we could get people to believe the truth about you being the Wizard's daughter and Morrible attacking him because he wanted to change his policies for you... it could work to our advantage."

Elphaba thought about that for a while, absently chewing her lower lip as she did so. "I suppose it could," she said finally. "Maybe... we'll see. Let's make sure we get there first."

"Stop biting your lip," Fiyero chided her and she gave him a small grin. She often worried her lower lip between her teeth when she was anxious or thinking about something and Fiyero had always scolded her for it, ever since the beginning of their relationship. It was nice to know that some things never changed.

They walked in silence for a long time. Elphaba pulled her cloak tighter around her as she followed Red and Fiyero, even though it wasn't really that cold. It was the beginning of summer. She realised with a slight shock that only yesterday morning, she had been in the throne room of the Emerald Palace, hoping to earn herself the Great and Wonderful Wizard's favour. Only a couple of days ago, she had still been at Shiz, graduating along with her friends. It felt like months had passed since then.

She wondered what Nessa was doing now, smiling inadvertently at the thought of her sister. She would be picking wildflowers and sewing as she sat in her chair in the sun. Boq would probably keep her company every now and then and take her on trips, even as he would be writing to Galinda and wishing to see his blonde girlfriend again. Galinda herself was most likely still in Gillikin with her parents, hosting some party or another, having tea with her upper-class girlfriends and shopping away all of her father's money. Elphaba already missed them, but she was glad to notice that the panicky feeling she'd had the day before did not return.

Red never said a word, even though Fiyero tried to make conversation with him a few times or to ask him where they were going. Elphaba noticed that they seemed to be walking up a slope. She strained her eyes, trying to see something beyond the trees around her that could tell her their exact location, but it was too dark. She suspected, however, that they were heading into the Great Kells.

Her suspicions were confirmed when they eventually emerged from the forest and she could see the green lights of the Emerald City in the distance below them. She was surprised to see that they had been ascending much faster than she'd thought they were.

Fiyero whistled. "We're going into the Great Kells? Is that where the hide-out is?"

Red ignored him. "Keep going. We still have a long way ahead of us." He instantly marched on and Elphaba cast one last look at the City before following him.

Fiyero caught up with her quickly, walking beside her. "You okay?"

"Sure." She tried not to think too much, instead focusing on setting one foot in front of the other. That helped.

"We'll be there soon," he said. "Then we can start working on finding a solution for all this."

"I know."

He gave her a slightly worried glance, but didn't say anything. She was grateful for that. She didn't want to talk anymore. Talking didn't solve anything and it only made her think about everything that was going on, everything that she had left behind, and everything that could go wrong.

They took a short break at some point and Red handed them both some food and water, though not much. They had barely finished before he urged them to start walking again. Elphaba's feet hurt and her legs and back were aching, but no complaint passed her lips. As long as Red would get them both to safety – or relative safety, she'd settle for that – she didn't care how far they had to go or how tired she was.

They climbed rocks, passed trees, and drank from streams as they kept going, still mostly in silence. By the time Red finally stopped again, the sky in the east was already slowly turning pink and gold in preparation for the rising sun. In the faint morning light, they could just distinguish more trees at the foot of the hill they were standing on, some lights burning between said trees. There was also movement, although Elphaba could not see who or what was moving. She could guess, though.

Red confirmed her thoughts. "We're here."


	10. Unsettled

**10\. Unsettled**

It took a while before they actually made it into the hide-out. Red talked to a menacing-looking Bull, who then went to get a Wolf and a Goat, who took Red aside to interrogate him for quite a while as the Bull kept a close eye on Elphaba and Fiyero. Only when Red's story apparently satisfied them were the three let through into the hide-out. Red left without another word and the Wolf took Elphaba and Fiyero to a wooden cottage at the edge of the hide-out, where they were instructed to wait until someone else came for them.

Fiyero studied the cottage, which looked small, but snug. He then turned to look around him. There were more huts and cottages, simple homes for the people living here. Most of the population seemed to consist of Animals, but he did spot a few humans, too. Probably fugitives just like them, or perhaps simply people who wanted to take a stand against the Wizard and his policies and help the Animals.

He then looked at Elphaba, who was still pale and unusually quiet. He knew better than to ask if she was okay again, though. He felt like that was all he had been doing ever since that night when Swan kissed him and he knew she was probably feeling anxious and on edge right now. All she needed was an excuse to snap, but he wouldn't be the one to give it to her.

She caught him looking and snapped, "What are you looking at?"

He mentally took back that latter thought.

"Just checking how you are doing," he said, trying to keep his voice light, but she was obviously in the mood to pick a fight with him. She tended to do that when she was agitated, tense, or insecure, as he had known for a long time. He could deal with it better now than before, though.

"I don't need you to look after me," she said snippily. "I'm a big girl, you know. I can take care of myself."

He didn't say anything, just kept looking at her until she grimaced. "I'm being childish, aren't I?"

He laughed and she stomped his arm. "This is where you are supposed to say "Not at all, Fae"."

"Not at all, Fae," he said, still grinning, and she stomped his arm again.

"I just hate this," she complained. "I hate not knowing what's going to happen, I hate being so dependent on people I don't even know; and no matter what you say, I also still hate dragging you into all this. And I'm hungry," she added, knowing that she was whining, but not really caring all that much. She thought that with everything going on, she had the right to be childish for a while. "And my feet hurt. So does my back. And I'm filthy and I need a bath."

"Oh, it's that? I was wondering what that terrible smell was."

That earned him another stomp – a hard one. "This isn't funny, Fiyero!"

He rubbed his arm, which actually felt a little bruised. "Would you rather have me complaining and being pessimistic all the time?" he asked.

Her temper flared up again and he realised his mistake – too late, of course. "Like me, you mean?" she demanded, eyes spitting fire. She planted her hands on her hips. "You know what, Fiyero? I didn't ask for this. This may all seem like one big joke to you, but it's not. This is my life from now on. I might never get to live among normal people again, I might never see my friends and my family again – I might not even survive this! So I'm very sorry if I don't find this whole situation funny, but by all means, laugh about it if you want to! Or, if I'm really that annoying, just go and _leave me alone_!"

He sighed. "Fae…" He didn't really know what to say, though. The truth was that he _had_ been looking at this as some sort of great adventure, rather than the dangerous flight it really was. He was still so used to dealing with pain and fear by making a joke out of everything that it tended to be his first reaction whenever something bad happened. He knew how much Elphaba hated that, but he sometimes couldn't help himself. It was just easier.

He turned around when he saw Elphaba looking at something behind him and he was greeted by the sight of a Swan – an actual Swan this time – coming towards them.

"Hello," she said, smiling at them both. "Are you Elphaba and Fiyero?"

Elphaba nodded and the Swan inclined her head. "My name is Amie. You'll be staying with me for the time being." She indicated the cottage they were standing in front of and Elphaba stepped aside to let the Swan through, watching as she opened the door and then went inside. Elphaba followed without looking back at Fiyero and the prince closed the line with a sigh.

Amie pointed them to a spare room in the back corner. There was no furniture, only a small pile of blankets on the floor.

"I'm very sorry," Amie said apologetically, "but we don't have much out here. There are resistance members scouting for clothes, blankets, food, and other necessities, but we can't exactly go into town to buy ourselves some furniture."

"It's fine," Elphaba assured the Swan. She tilted her head a little to the side. "Is Amie your real name?" she asked.

The Swan understood her meaning. "There is not much use for code names inside a hide-out," she said. "You already know the location of this place – that information is far more valuable than an individual's name could ever be. If you wanted to betray us, you'd have more than enough information to do so already."

Elphaba nodded, understanding, and Amie smiled again.

"You must be hungry," she said. "Would you like something to eat? I can spare you a bit – not much, but a bit."

"That would be great, thank you," said Elphaba gratefully and Amie led the way back to the cottage's main room, which served as a kitchen and living room in one. As she prepared the two of them some food, she asked them about their story and Elphaba told her about everything that had happened, including – probably due to their earlier conversation – about her discoveries about her parentage. Fiyero was actually a little surprised to hear her being so open to a stranger. Elphaba usually wasn't one to open up very soon or talk a lot to other people about herself.

Amie offered them a tour around the hide-out after that, which they accepted. The Swan explained to them how everything was built and arranged; the hide-out was small and simple, since everyone who lived here always had to be prepared to flee in case the Gale Force came nearby. Most of the people living here moved around from hide-out to hide-out to avoid discovery or to help out, so the inhabitants of this small village changed every few weeks or months.

The houses, as Fiyero had noticed before, were all wooden huts or cottages. Amie told them that every week, a few members of the resistance arrived with piles of food and the inhabitants of the hide-out sometimes went out scavenging for food in the forest as well. There were plenty of streams coming from the mountains to drink from and bathe in. Life here, Fiyero concluded, was simple, but everything anyone needed was present. The people who knew about medicine acted as doctors and most people here also had a resistance job – whether that be gathering food or helping and taking in and guiding other fugitives, like Amie. Others scouted for Gale Force soldiers, built the houses, or did other things that were useful to the resistance. It all seemed very well-organised and Fiyero was impressed.

They met a lot of people on their tour and Amie introduced Elphaba and Fiyero to all of them. There was one of the doctors, a man named Leyo; a small group of little kids, human and Animal alike; an elderly Horse named Andor; and the Dokos, a family of Cats. Fiyero had never really seen Elphaba around Animals before – aside from Dr Dillamond – and he was a little baffled by the change in her when she was interacting with them. She was always tense and a little stiff around other people, but here she seemed to open up completely, smiling and laughing with the younger Animals and having serious conversations with the older ones, listening to their stories and being even more empathetic than usual. It was a side of her Fiyero knew existed, but had only ever seen glimpses of.

Once it was just the two of them again, however, sitting in the grass and watching the children play, she went back to being withdrawn, silent, and a little icy.

"Elphaba," Fiyero said. "You know I didn't mean it like that."

She ignored him.

"I'm just worried about you."

"I'm not a baby," she huffed. "Don't treat me like one."

"I'm not," he said, getting a little annoyed himself now. "Oz, Elphaba, you know I care about you and that what is happening is not nothing, so don't you think it's normal that I'm worried about you? I know you can take care of yourself. That's not the point. The point is that you don't _have_ to. I know you're strong and you don't ever want to show anyone any weakness, but I don't want you to pretend with me and I can never tell when you really are all right and when you're only pretending to be. That's why I'm hovering and that's why I'm worried."

She just looked at him, her gaze unreadable. She looked back at the playing children, frowning a little.

Her lack of response only irritated him more. "Elphaba."

She directed her gaze back to him.

"I have a feeling that there's more," he said. "Something you're not telling me."

She scowled. "I don't have to tell you everything."

"I'm trying to help you!"

"Maybe I don't need your help!"

He shook his head. "That is nonsense and you know it. We've talked about this – of course it's normal that you're not yourself with all this going on, but I'm almost completely sure that that is not all. You're different, Elphaba. _Really_ different, beyond what our current situation and lack of sleep can explain. For the past few days, you've been either sad and silent or angry at everything that moves."

"Stop it," she said tiredly. "Stop pushing me. There's nothing else going on. I'm fine. As fine as I could be under the circumstances, anyway. Just leave me alone, Fiyero. Please."

"Is that what you want?" he demanded, his own temper flaring. "Do you want me to leave? _Talk to me_ , Oz dammit!"

"I have talked to you!" she cried. "I don't know what else you want me to say! We've talked about everything I'm leaving behind, about my fears about what will happen – you've been forcing me to talk about everything ever since we got together the first time and I just really don't know what else you want from me!"

He sighed, frustrated. Honestly, he wasn't sure himself what he wanted from her. It was just a feeling. Something about all this – about _her_ – was off and he hated that she would not tell him what it was.

"You don't trust me," she stated, studying his face. Her expression was incredulous. "You really think I'm lying to you? After everything I told you?"

He didn't know what made him say it. A combination of frustration, exhaustion, anxiety, and frayed nerves, he supposed. "Yes," he spat. "Yes, I do."

She was quiet for a few moments, still looking at him. He looked away, his feelings of powerlessness transforming into anger, and he did not look back even though he felt her gaze on him the whole time.

Then she said, her voice low and even, "Go to _hell_ , Fiyero Tiggular." With that, she got up and left.

He did not follow her.

* * *

She did not speak to him when she returned and he did not say anything to her, either. She went straight through to Amie's cottage and into their bedroom. When Fiyero entered a while later, she was curled up in a ball on the floor, fast asleep. He covered her with a blanket and then left again, wandering a bit around the hide-out.

The children were still playing. He recognised Bob Doko, one of the kids from the Cat family. He was trying to catch a Snake – Fiyero thought his name was Senzio – as the other kids cheered them on. Bob's younger sister, grey and fluffy Noah, was staying out of their way, seeming a little wary of the other children.

Senzio managed to close his jaws around Bob's thick tail and the Cat jumped, whining. The other children, including Noah, laughed. Fiyero found himself smiling – he remembered playing with his own friends like that when he was a boy. He was glad these kids still had a chance to actually be kids, even though they were living in a hide-out for fugitives. He wondered what their lives would have been like if the resistance had not existed. They might have been dead by now, captured, or separated from their parents – or muted, locked in cages like that Lion cub had been in order for their voices to be taken away.

He walked around for a while and just when he was returning to Amie's house, he saw Elphaba coming out of it. He hesitated and then approached her.

"I'm sorry," he said.

She looked at him for a while, seemingly trying to decide whether or not he meant it, before nodding. "Me, too, I guess."

He quirked a small, lopsided smile. "What for?"

She shrugged. "You're right," she said. "I haven't been myself lately. I don't know why I keep snapping at everyone at even the slightest remark or bursting into tears like a child every time something bad happens. I don't even _feel_ like myself, and I hate that because I'm the only person I have always been able to rely on throughout my life. I guess I've been taking that out on you and I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"I'm really not hiding anything from you, though," she said, her voice smaller than usual. "I don't know what's wrong with me, but I would never lie to you about something like this."

He pulled her into his arms. She buried her face in his shoulder and he rested his chin on the top of her head. "I know," he said quietly. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I shouldn't have accused you like that and I shouldn't have worried and hovered so much. I just… can't really help it when it comes to you. You told me that you couldn't handle losing me; but it's the other way around, too, you know. You're the best thing that ever happened to me and the most important thing in my life… so yes, I worry about you. Because I can't lose you, either."

She heaved a shaky sigh. "We're a piece of work, aren't we? Or, well… two pieces, I guess."

He smiled and kissed her hair. "We are. But," he said, pulling away and tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she looked up at him, "that is also why we work so well together."

She huffed a laugh. "I guess."

He took her hand and squeezed it. "Come on. Let's go see if Amie has some dinner for us – I'm starving."

* * *

 **See how nice I am? I gave you a cliffy-free chapter! Next chapter will be bad, though. (So now I basically gave this chapter a cliffhanger by telling you the next chapter will have a cliffhanger. You're welcome.)**


	11. The Search

**You're a bunch of suspicious people, aren't you?**

 **Guestie: Um... Not making any promises there. *fidgets nervously***

* * *

 **11\. The Search**

They had dinner and then went to bed, both of them exhausted from the long journey and the accompanying emotions. When she awoke, however, Elphaba instantly threw herself into her mission of trying to find a spell that could help the Wizard.

By the time Fiyero sat up, his hair tangled and his eyes thick with sleep, Elphaba was already poring over her second book of spells, having tossed one aside after apparently having gone through it. She was wearing her glasses and seemed solely focused on the book. Fiyero yawned and she glanced over at him before re-directing her attention to her book.

"Anything yet?" the prince asked sleepily, stretching his arms above his head.

She shook her head, some strands of hair coming loose of the bun she'd pulled it into and falling into her face. "Not yet," she said, "but I have a lot more books to go."

Fiyero rummaged around in his own bag and pulled out the book Elphaba had gotten from the Wizard. "What about this one?"

"I'll look at it later."

Fiyero studied the cover, which said in a fancy, swirling script, " _The Grimmerie_ ". He read the title aloud. "That sounds mysterious." He opened it and started flipping through the pages. "Huh. Maybe it was a mistake to carry this thing around with us after all," he muttered, more to himself than to the green girl sitting next to him. "This is unreadable."

"What do you mean?" Elphaba finally really looked up from her own book to take a good look at Fiyero's. She took it from him and opened it, flipping a few pages as well. "I can read it just fine. The handwriting is a little peculiar, but it's perfectly readable. Are you sure you don't need glasses?"

Fiyero was frowning. "Fae, the words on those pages don't make any sense."

She read a few of the words aloud. " _Eleka Nahmen Nahmen…_ You're right," she said in surprise. "That _doesn't_ make any sense. It really seems like it does, though – I mean, when I look at these words, I can read them… they seem sort of logical. I guess. I'm not really sure, I can't explain it. Madame Morrible did say that this book was written in the ancient language of spells – maybe I can read it because I have a natural talent for sorcery? I was born with those powers, as far as I know, so maybe only people who have such powers can read this book?"

"It could be that," Fiyero agreed. "When it comes to you, there is not much that surprises me anymore."

"It might hold the answers," she mumbled, slowly looking through the pages and studying each and every one of them before moving on to the next one. "It's the most powerful book in existence and it's written in a language not many people apparently understand… that has to mean something, right?" It was obviously a rhetorical question – she was already so immersed in the book that Fiyero suspected she would not even hear his reply if he gave one, so he stayed quiet.

When Amie came to tell them that she had some breakfast for them, Fiyero went with her and took something back to the spare room for Elphaba to eat. He mostly watched as she went through the Grimmerie, unable to read the thick book and thus also unable to help her. He searched through another spell book for her, but he wasn't even really sure what he was looking for.

Just before noon, a lot of noise outside attracted their attention and they both got up and left the cottage to see what was going on.

"Please." Moula Doko, the Cat mother of the family, was near tears. "I haven't been able to find him all morning and no-one has seen him… What if he wandered off into the woods and someone found him?"

"What's going on?" Fiyero asked and Amie, who had been listening to Moula, turned to him.

"Bob is missing."

"We'll help look for him," Elphaba said immediately and the mother Cat gave her a quivery smile.

"Thank you. Some of the others are already looking as well, but the more, the better."

"Let's go," said Elphaba, nudging Fiyero forward. They quickly moved to the edge of the hide-out and into the forest, watching carefully where they were going and at the same time looking around for a fluffy, dark brown Cat.

"He could be anywhere," Fiyero muttered, scanning the environment. "It's a big forest and a rather small Cat."

"We have to look." Elphaba glanced at Fiyero and quickly pushed his arms down when she saw he was about to bring his hands to his mouth. "Don't call him! What if the Gale Force _did_ find him? They'd be onto us in a matter of clock-ticks!"

He had the decency to look sheepish. "Sorry. I didn't think about that."

She rolled her eyes. "Do you think at all?"

He scowled at her, but didn't retort, instead returning his attention to the forest around them. They were moving uphill again, pebbles rolling away beneath their feet, and they had to climb over some rocks a few times. The trees disappeared after a while, which made it easier for them to search for the young Cat, but they still did not locate him anywhere. They saw other inhabitants of the hide-out in the distance a few times, obviously also still looking for Bob and also obviously not having seen any sign of him, either. Elphaba hoped he was okay.

Fiyero suddenly yelped and she spun around just in time to see him gliding a metre or so down the hill, the pebbles rolling away underneath his feet as he flailed his arms around in an attempt to regain his balance. She quickly grabbed his arm and helped him back up onto the path. "Would you be careful?! I think we have enough problems without you breaking your neck!" she scolded him, her heart in her throat.

Fiyero, realising she was more worried than mad, merely gave her another sheepish grin. "Sorry."

They moved on, climbing and descending, looking everywhere for a sign of dark brown fur or orange eyes, but finding none.

"Imagine how worried his mother must be," said Elphaba quietly as she and Fiyero walked a bit side by side again, the path being wider here than it was before. "Once, when we were little, Nessa decided that it would be fun to play hide and seek with me, only she didn't tell me we were playing. I've never been so worried in my entire life – I spent hours looking for her. Father was worried, too, and more angry at me than I'd ever seen him for letting Nessa out of my sight. She eventually emerged from behind the bushes in the garden, all delighted because she managed to stay hidden from us despite her chair." She shook her head, smiling faintly at the memory, but her eyes were still worried. "I just hope it's something like that and that Bob hasn't really gotten lost or been taken by someone."

"He's a kid," said Fiyero, squeezing her shoulder. "Kids get lost all the time and they usually turn up again after a while, completely all right. I can't even tell you the amount of times my mum thought I had gone missing, or was kidnapped, and I had just fallen asleep in my hiding place or sneaked off to play with my friends. He'll be okay, don't worry."

Elphaba sighed. "If the Wizard and Morrible weren't suppressing the Animals, we wouldn't even be worrying about Gale Force soldiers taking a child right now," she said bitterly. "What will happen if I _do_ find a spell that wakes up the Wizard, Fiyero? Maybe my name will be cleared, but they will still hold the power over Oz. There will still be these hide-outs, filled with people, with Animals and children, who have to fear for their lives because they happen to look different than your average Ozian or because they were brave enough to stand up for those who are different."

"The Wizard promised you he'd make changes for you," Fiyero reminded her. "It won't be just them anymore, Fae – you'd be there as well and you could keep an eye on things. If the Wizard remembers, your name will be cleared and Morrible will go to prison. No-one would have to be afraid anymore."

"I wish it were that easy," she said wistfully and he bumped his shoulder against hers.

"Maybe it is."

He recognised that this was a sensitive subject to her – not just because she was a naturally empathetic and kind person who cared more about others than about herself, but also because he knew she took this whole situation personally. The only reason the Animals were being targeted was because they were different. The only reason Elphaba had been targeted all her life, by her father as well as her peers and basically every other person she had ever met, was because _she_ was different. She felt more passionately about this than about anything else and she wanted to help, more than anything. He knew she was frustrated now because she felt like she was being useless, sitting in a room and reading spell books instead of taking _real_ action. She probably understood that she was actually helping by reading those spell books, but she had always hated being passive when there was an opportunity for her to be active. He hoped she would find something in those books soon, something that could help them. He was worried she might do something drastic otherwise – her passion was one of the things he loved most about her, but it could also make her reckless when she let herself be guided by it. He wouldn't be surprised to wake up one morning and find out she had left with the other resistance members to try and make a change.

But that was why he was here – to be her voice of reason when she needed it, to have her back, and to keep an eye on her. That was why they worked so well together; his strengths complemented her weaknesses and his weaknesses were balanced out by her strengths.

They looked for a while longer, but there was no sign of Bob anywhere. Eventually, they decided to head back in the direction of the hide-out in the hopes that someone had found and returned Bob already.

Fiyero clambered up another hill and then down again, leading the way and still alert for any movement, with Elphaba close behind him – or at least he thought she was. When he heard her gasp, he carefully balanced himself with one hand against a tree trunk, expecting her to have spotted Bob. "Do you see him?" he already started to ask, half-turning to look over his shoulder; but a rumbling sound made him realise something was wrong and he whirled around completely, nearly stumbling and falling again, but managing to keep himself upright. "Fae?"

There was dust hanging in front of him, as if the rocks had come crashing down. Maybe they had, he thought, panic rising in his chest, and he coughed and tried to wave the dust away with his hand. "Fae!"

He made his way back to the spot where he thought she had last been, but he didn't see anything. The rocks had obviously shifted – there was a pile of them a little bit down the slope on the other side of the hill and he all but ran over to that spot, afraid to find Elphaba trapped underneath the rocks, but there was not a trace of green to be seen.

He called her name again, looking around and trying his hardest to stay calm. What could have happened? She must have noticed the rocks shifting – that had to be why she had gasped – but if she hadn't been trapped beneath them, then where was she? She could have leapt aside, of course, but then why wasn't she answering when he called her? If she was okay, she would have called back to him by now.

Fiyero went farther down, all the way to the foot of the hill, searching for her and calling her name time after time, the panic in his chest expanding with every clock-tick of silence. There was no answer. She would answer him if she was able to. So that meant she was unable to, for some reason, and not one of the reasons he could think of was a pleasant one.

Even if she was hurt, though, she couldn't just have disappeared… right? Had she been covered by the rocks to the point where he couldn't see her anymore? Had she indeed jumped aside and then fallen down a different part of the mountains? Every rock and patch of earth here was treacherous – he knew many people had died in the Great Kells. There were cliffs, sliding pebbles, sharp pointy rocks, and holes in the ground that were invisible until you fell into one of them. Maybe it wasn't even the mountains that had made her disappear – what if there had coincidentally been Gale Force nearby and they had taken her? But could they have, so quickly and without him hearing them?

He called her name again, the panic now clearly audible in his voice, and then he listened. The only sound he heard, however, was his own voice echoing back at him from the mountains around him.

Elphaba was gone.

* * *

 **STOP! CLIFFY TIME! *starts to dance again***

 **Reviews may or may not speed up the posting process. (Probably not, but they will make my day!)**


	12. After the Fall

**12\. After the Fall**

Fiyero kept shouting her name for what felt like hours, combing out every part of the mountains, rocks, and woods in the vicinity of the spot where he had last seen her, but to no avail. She was really gone. He didn't understand how she could be gone. One moment she had been right behind him and the next, she had disappeared – except she _couldn't_ have. She had to be somewhere. People didn't just disappear in thin air, not even people with powers like Elphaba's.

He stilled at that thought. Could that have been it? What if she had somehow seen or heard something that made her think she was in danger and her powers had reacted to that by transporting her someplace else? He supposed it was possible – pretty much anything was possible when it came to Elphaba. If that was the case, she would probably try to return to the hide-out, if that was not where she had transported herself to in the first place.

Hope flaring up inside of him, he turned and started making his way back to the hide-out, climbing across the rocks and half-running through the forest. When he finally made it back, a few hours later, it was to find a group of people in the centre of the village, talking to one another.

"What's going on?" he asked breathlessly, thinking it had something to do with Elphaba.

Andor, the elderly Horse he had met soon after coming here, turned to him. "The little Doko Cat has been found," he told the prince.

A young, human woman whose name Fiyero did not know smiled fondly. "Bob had hidden himself up in a tree in order to avoid having to do his chores and he fell asleep there," she explained, shaking her head. "The silly little thing. He had us all worried sick, but thank Oz he is safe."

Fiyero tried not to feel disappointed – he was honestly glad Bob had been found, but this wasn't really the news he had been hoping for. "Have you seen Elphaba?"

"Elphaba?" Andor questioned. "I thought Amie said she went with you?"

"She did," said Fiyero, his eyes scanning the village and the trees and hills beyond it, "but I lost her. She was right behind me and then she just... wasn't. I was hoping she came back here..." He trailed off. The worried looks Andor and the other villagers exchanged did not escape him. "You think something bad happened to her," he stated.

The woman sighed. "I don't mean to discourage you, Prince Fiyero, but people have disappeared in these mountains before and it is usually not a very good sign."

Perrin, the father of the Snake called Senzio, had obviously overheard their conversation and agreed with the woman. "There are many treacherous holes here in the mountains where people can fall into," he said, "and it would not be the first time the Gale Force ventured out into the Kells in search of fugitives or rebellious Animals. She might have been taken."

Fiyero bit his lip, feeling nauseous with worry now. "I have to find her."

"Not now," said Andor gently. "It is too dangerous – it's getting dark already. If you go now, you'll probably get hurt yourself – or worse – and you won't be helping her."

"Listen," said Perrin as the young woman placed a comforting hand on Fiyero's arm. "I will alert the other villagers to her disappearance and tomorrow at first light, we will set out to look for her. Don't do anything rash. It will get you killed out here."

Fiyero nodded, albeit reluctantly, and the woman patted his arm one more time before stepping back. The villagers were slowly dispersing and he wandered around the perimeter of the hide-out for a while, peering into the woods and the mountains as if Elphaba could come walking out of there at any moment if only he looked long and hard enough. She didn't, of course, and he eventually made his way back to Amie's cottage, already knowing that he would not be getting any sleep that night.

* * *

The first thing Elphaba became aware of was a stabbing pain in her right ankle that made her physically wince. She had always prided herself on her insensitivity to pain, but this felt like someone was stabbing her with a dozen white-hot needles.

She lay still for a while, waiting for the fog in her head to clear before she attempted to even move or open her eyes. She felt a little sore and her head was throbbing, but aside from her ankle, she didn't seem to be hurt. She didn't exactly remember what happened – only that she had taken a wrong step, the rocks had started shifting and she had slid down the hill... she must have hit her head when she fell. She touched the back of her head and her thoughts were confirmed when there turned out to be some blood on her fingers, but it didn't seem too serious – just a small wound and perhaps a slight concussion. She was more worried about the fact that she wasn't sure where she was.

Slowly sitting up, she tried to assess her surroundings. She was in a small space, with earth and branches all around her, and it was dark. When she looked around, she discovered the hole above her and realised that she must have fallen through it. It wasn't too deep – the hole was at most a metre or two above her head when she was sitting – but it was probably still deep enough for her to be unable to get out of it by herself, especially with her sore ankle.

One thing at a time. She moved all her limbs, assessing whether or not anything was broken, but everything seemed fine. She cradled her knee to her chest and pulled the hem of her skirt up, gingerly prodding her ankle and wincing again at the pain. She wasn't sure whether it was broken or just badly bruised or sprained, but she didn't think she'd be able to walk on it. How long had she been out, anyway? And where was Fiyero?

"Fiyero?" she called, laying her head in her neck to look up at the hole above her. The sky was dark blue. It had been late afternoon when she and Fiyero had been heading back to the hide-out – was it evening now? Had she really been unconscious for that long? She bit her lip, suddenly feeling anxious. If Fiyero had seen her fall, he would have been here right now, trying to get her out. The fact that he did not seem to be around could only mean that he hadn't realised what had happened to her. He had probably looked for her for a long time, but it was obvious he hadn't been able to find her; maybe he had returned to the Animal hide-out, hoping to find her there. She realised the irony of her going missing during the search for a missing Cat and it almost made her smirk a little. Almost.

She struggled to get to her feet, but soon found that she indeed could not put any weight on her right foot without going dizzy with pain. She tried calling out again, both Fiyero's name and just a general "Help!", but she knew that it was most likely fruitless. Fiyero was not around anymore and it wasn't like there were people passing by this particular place all the time. The Great Kells were not exactly a popular place to visit – that was why the Animal hide-out had been placed here, after all: to make the chances of it being discovered as small as possible. Her only hope was Fiyero having gone back to the hide-out and bringing back more people to this place to help him look for her, but he might not be coming back at all. Perhaps he believed she had been taken by Gale Force soldiers or plummeted into the ravine nearby. Even if he would return with help, it might not be until morning. It was incredibly dangerous to wander around these mountains at night, with the treacherous cliffs, sliding rocks, and holes everywhere – and that was without even taking into account the wild animals roaming the Kells.

She managed to stand up on her left foot and glanced up at the hole again. It didn't seem so high now; perhaps she could manage to climb out of it after all... She tried to jump, but quickly abandoned that plan when another stab of pain shot through her right ankle. She gritted her teeth and tried to climb with her hands and one foot, but that didn't go over too well, either.

If only she knew some sort of levitation spell...

She held her breath. She _did_ know a levitation spell. It wasn't very strong and it was supposed to be used on objects, not persons, but it was at least worth a try. She closed her eyes, trying to remember the words, and then slowly spoke them.

When she opened her eyes, she was hovering just a little bit above the ground and she tried to steer herself upwards, struggling to control the magic. Eventually, using both her magic, her hands, and her left foot, she managed to push herself out of the hole and onto the ground beside it, where she lay still for a while, panting.

She pushed herself up and looked around. It was indeed getting dark; soon she wouldn't be able to see a thing. She realised that even though she was out of that hole now, her situation had not exactly improved. At least inside the hole she would have been safe from wild animals.

"Fiyero!" she called again. She realised that this, too, was ironic – her calling out for help when she'd scolded Fiyero for doing exactly that only hours ago. On the other hand, the chances of Gale Force soldiers being around to hear her were rather small, while the chances of her dying out here in the dark, alone and hurt, were increasing with every passing minute. "Help!"

She tried hopping, but that hurt her ankle too much. She then tried crawling. That worked, to some extent, but there were several flaws to that plan. One was the fact that her palms and knees were already bleeding after a few metres because of all the sharp rocks and pebbles; the other was the fact that she was so disoriented by the falling darkness that she had no idea of which direction to go in anymore. On top of that, she knew that even if she did know the way, the hide-out was at least a few hours away by foot. Crawling, it would take her all night to reach it. She tried to think of a spell she could use to contact Fiyero or to make her way back to the hide-out, but there wasn't anything she knew by heart that would be useful in her current situation.

In short, she thought wryly as she sat down again, carefully wiping her bloody palms on her skirt, she was pretty much doomed.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there, trying to come up with a solution and not lose hope whilst trying to ignore the fact that it had gone completely dark around her now. She was eventually shaken from her thoughts by a sound and she stiffened. Was it a wild animal? She kept completely still, trying to see through the darkness and hoping that, if it was indeed a wild animal, it would leave her alone.

Then a stick suddenly snapped behind her and she whirled around, startled, half expecting to find herself staring at the bared teeth of a hungry cougar or a bear. What she had _not_ expected to find herself staring at was a rifle, held by a tall man and pointing straight at her.

* * *

 **What's the expression again in English? Out of the furnace and into the fire? O:)**


	13. Into the Fire

**So apparently it's either "Out of the furnace and into the fire" or "Out of the frying pan and into the fire", depending on where you're from (although I could swear I've heard "Out of the furnace and into the frying pan" once, but maybe that was just a joke, then). In any case, you got the gist :P. And with this chapter, I suppose she just went from the frying pan to the fire to the furnace, anyway.**

 **Personally, I really liked writing sassy Elphaba in this chapter, haha.**

 **Also, virtual Brownie cuddles for Nia aka Fae'sFlower, who was the 100th reviewer of this story! :D**

* * *

 **13\. Into the Fire**

"Who are you?" the man demanded, narrowing his eyes. "What are you doing out here?"

"Taking a nap," she said sarcastically, unable to help herself – it was just such a stupid question. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

The man eyed her up and down suspiciously again, taking a step closer so that she could see him better in the faint light of the moon. He was middle-aged, with a weathered face and piercing blue eyes. "You're hurt?"

"No, I just like lying around in a deserted part of the mountains in the dark," she snapped. "Yes, I'm hurt – obviously. If you're going to either help me or shoot me, could you just do so already?"

"You'd better cut it down on the sarcasm, missy," he warned her, but she just snorted. She was tired, covered in mud, and in pain, and she didn't have the patience to be polite right now.

He eyed her up and down once more. "You're not Gale Force, are you?"

"No," she said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "It's my skin that's green, not my uniform – and besides, have you ever seen a female Gale Force soldier?" It was well-known that the Gale Force only recruited men, because they were supposedly stronger and more capable of using violence.

The man nodded, lowering the rifle and holding out a hand to help her up. She grabbed it and let him pull her to her feet, gritting her teeth in pain.

He glanced down at her ankle. "Broken?"

"Not sure."

He nodded. "Can you walk?"

"If I could walk, would I have been lying in the mud?"

He barked a laugh and without warning, suddenly picked her up and swung her over his shoulder as if she were a sack of potatoes, his rifle in one hand. He started walking.

She was scowling at his backside. "You really know how to treat a lady, don't you? Who are you, anyway? How do I know you're not going to murder me or sell me out?"

"You don't," he said, "but it's not like you could do much about it, anyway, is it?" He chuckled when he felt her shift uncomfortably. "Missy, if I'd wanted to murder you, I'd have done so already; and since I don't even know who you are, I wouldn't know who to sell you out to, either. Would selling you out earn me a lot of money?"

She didn't answer that. "You haven't been anywhere near civilisation in a while, have you?" she asked. "Otherwise you'd have known who I am."

He huffed and adjusted her position on his shoulder a little. "I've been living here in these mountains for a long time already. When the Animals and the fugitives came fleeing here, it merely reminded me of why I left that so-called "civilisation" in the first place – there's nothing civilised about them." He climbed a slippery slope as if it didn't cost him any effort at all, despite the girl he was carrying over his shoulder, and the moved back into the woods. Elphaba had no idea where they were – but then again, she didn't really know anything around here.

"You're one of them, then?" the man asked. "A fugitive?"

"Yeah." She sighed. "I guess."

"Well, if you really went against the rules that ridiculous Wizard set, that's enough for me to be willing to help you out." He stopped and put her down on her feet again so that she could see the wooden cabin that was apparently his home. "We're here." He opened the door and motioned for her to come in, lending her an arm for her to use as support so that she could slowly make her way inside and lower herself into a chair.

He closed the door behind them and made light, moving over to Elphaba's side. "Let me see that." He picked up her foot, causing her to let out a cry of pain, and carefully examined her ankle. "I can't tell for sure – I'm not a doctor – but I don't think it's broken. It's probably merely sprained. Badly, though." He dropped her foot. "I think I must have some bandages lying around here – stay put."

She didn't even comment on the fact that she wasn't exactly able to go anywhere. Instead, she looked around her. The cabin was small and looked a lot like the cabins back at the Animal hide-out, except more robust – which made sense, since the houses at the hide-out were meant to serve as homes only temporarily. She watched as the man came back and soaked some bandages in water before coming back over to her and starting to wrap them around her ankle.

"Icy cold water, straight from the mountains," he said when she gasped at the cold and the pain. "Purer than you'll find it anywhere else. These mountains provide everything one needs."

"Except company," she muttered.

He arched an eyebrow. "Are you saying I need to work on my social skills?" He laughed again. "I like being on my own, girl. I never asked for your company and I'm not going to act any differently around you than I normally would around anyone else. You asked for my help, not the other way around." He finished bandaging her up and patted the bandage, causing her to blanch in pain. "There you go, all better. I suppose you want to spend the night?"

"Unless you want to send me back out to sleep in the woods," she said, another touch of sarcasm in her voice – she just couldn't help herself around this guy, "then yes, please."

"Fine, then." He rummaged around a bit and made up a bed for her on the couch. "You're not getting the bed, though. I'm not a gentleman."

"I'd noticed." She pushed herself to her feet again and stumbled over to the couch. "The couch is fine. Thanks," she said reluctantly.

He shook his head. "What's a little girl like you doing in these mountains, anyway?" he asked as he walked over to the kitchen counter and started preparing some food. "Whatever did you do to make the Wizard want to look for you?"

"He's not the one who wants me," she said. She lowered herself onto the couch and winced, gingerly rubbing her bandaged ankle, which was throbbing painfully. "Madame Morrible is – his Press Secretary. And the funny thing about this whole mess is that I didn't actually do anything – they just think I did."

He nodded. "So you came from one of the hide-outs, then?" He came over to hand her some bread and cheese, which she accepted gratefully.

"Yes. I'm trying to find a way to heal the Wizard – he's unconscious," she explained when she saw the frown on his face, "and they don't know if he'll be okay. But I need him to be, because he has to testify against Morrible in order for my name to be cleared."

The man whistled between his teeth. "Sounds like you got yourself in a lot of trouble, missy," he said as he tore into his own meal. "And what if you do find a way to heal that old bastard? It's not like you'll be able to get close enough to actually heal him."

"I'll find a way." She shrugged. "And until then, I want to help out in the resistance. Maybe that way I can figure out some kind of plan that will enable me to cure the Wizard."

"The resistance?" he guffawed. "A frail little female like yourself?" He was laughing so hard he nearly choked on his food and she bristled.

"I am not frail," she sneered at him, "and I can do this."

He was still chuckling. "Show me some moves, then."

She bit her lip. "I don't actually know how to fight," she conceded. "But I want to learn. I _can_ learn – I'm a quick learner." She looked up at him, suddenly getting an idea. "Can't you teach me?"

"Me? Teach you how to fight?" He continued to laugh. "I don't think so. I don't mingle in resistance business and besides," he nodded at her foot, "you're not going to be able to learn any fighting for a while." He stuffed the rest of his food into his mouth and rose to his feet. "You'd better just get some rest now, girl. I'll take you back to your resistance hide-out in the morning."

* * *

True to his word, the man gave her some more food the next morning and then threw her over his shoulder again, whistling as he started walking at a brisk pace. It was still early; the sky was grey and the sun had hardly risen. The air was cold and Elphaba shivered, but the man just told her to hang in tight for a while longer.

They walked for a few hours – or, well, the man walked and Elphaba dangled – before they were stopped by a voice shouting, "Halt!". Elphaba tried to see, but since she was dangling upside down facing the man's back, she couldn't see anything.

"Relax!" the man called, lowering Elphaba to her feet. "It's just me."

She turned so that she could look at the person who had spoken. He was a Stag she did not recognise – but then again, she didn't know everyone in the hide-out. She looked around, but she couldn't see any of the cottages yet.

The Stag visibly relaxed. "Traver. Who is that you have with you?"

"I found her in the mountains last night," the man, whose name was apparently Traver, said. "She was hurt. Said she came from the hide-out."

"I thought you said you didn't mingle in resistance business," Elphaba said to him, but he just shrugged.

"Doesn't mean I never come across them. I live nearby, after all – they know me well and they know I won't betray them. That doesn't mean I'm actually a part of what they do here."

The Stag took Elphaba in. "I don't recall any green people ever having been here," he said coolly.

She scowled back at him. "I'm Elphaba Thropp. I came here a couple of days ago with Prince Fiyero – we're staying with Amie, the Swan? I got hurt while we were all searching for Bob Doko. Fiyero must have gotten back without me."

The Stag kept staring at her, then shook his head. "None of the names you just mentioned mean anything to me," he said. "I don't know a Bob Doko or a Swan named Amie."

Elphaba slowly turned to face Traver again. "Please tell me you took me to the right hide-out."

He held up his hands. "This is the only hide-out I know of, missy. Don't blame me if it's the wrong one."

"There is another hide-out," said the Stag, causing them both to turn to him again. "It's about half a day's walk from here. It's not ours, though – it's from the other resistance."

Elphaba blinked. "There's another resistance?" She suddenly felt very foolish. What was she even doing here, trying to become a part of something she didn't even know anything about? She'd always been driven by her passion and her sense of justice, but maybe Fiyero was right and she should just stick to the things she _knew_ she could do to help – searching for a way to cure the Wizard. She could deal with magic. This... she wanted to be more active, to really do something concrete to help. That she wanted to, however, did not mean it was the smartest thing to do.

A Lynx came towards them down the slope of a hill. "Hey, Traver!" he called. "What've you got there? Is that a string bean?"

Elphaba straightened, her dark eyes shooting fire. She'd had her fair share of name-calling all her life and she was completely done with it – especially when the one calling her names was one of the Animals she was trying to help. "Excuse me, what did you just say?" she asked, her voice icy cold. She held up one hand, which started crackling with magic when she focused.

The Stag seemed impressed. "You're a sorceress."

"She's a feisty string bean," the Lynx joked as he came further down the hill; but before he could take another step, Elphaba had made a small gesture and the Lynx tripped and fell flat on his face. The Stag and Traver both roared with laughter.

"She's a little firecracker, that one," Traver said, indicating Elphaba with a nod of his head. "She might even be of some use to you guys."

"No," said Elphaba, turning around to look up at Traver. "I can't stay here. If this is not the hide-out I came from, you'll have to take me to the right one. They'll be looking for me by now – I have to get back."

Traver shook his head. "I don't even know where that hide-out is," he said.

More people came down the hill behind which the hide-out apparently lay. "Eno?" one Animal called. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah!" the Stag shouted back. "It's just Traver and a little witch he found."

"Can't one of you take me back?" asked Elphaba impatiently. "I really need to get back there and one of you must know the way, right? Please?" she added, realising she wasn't sounding too polite. "I have people there who are waiting for me." Well, there was probably only a single person who would actually be worried and waiting for her, but still. She had to get back to him.

Eno opened his mouth to reply, but just then, a noise of surprise from the group of people that had come down the hill drew her attention. Someone was pushing forward through the small crowd and said, incredulously, "Elphaba?"

She stared at him, at that familiar pair of light brown eyes in that face she knew so well but hadn't seen in over a year now. She blinked, taken aback. "Cohvu?"

* * *

 **Now, that counts as a cliffy, but it's not a bad cliffy, is it?**


	14. All We Do

**14\. All We Do**

"Elphaba!" Before she could so much as move a muscle, she already found herself locked in a tight bear hug. "Sweet Oz, what are _you_ doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" She stumbled back a little in order to be able to take him in. He looked good. He seemed taller than before and more muscular – just generally fitter and healthier than he had looked back at Shiz. He looked a little tired, but the grin on his face was genuine and exactly as she remembered it. It made her grin back at him. "We hadn't heard from you in a year... we all thought you'd met someone and forgotten all about us, or something," she said, shaking her head. "But you've been here? All this time?"

He nodded. "I'm sorry," he said. "I wanted to contact you, but I couldn't. I joined the rebellion pretty much straight after I graduated and I've been working with them ever since."

"I take it you two know one another?" Eno asked drily and Cohvu looked at him.

"We went to school together," he said. "We're friends."

"I see." The Stag was looking from one to the other thoughtfully, but didn't say anything else.

"Come on," said Cohvu, turning around, "I'll take you to my place and we can have a talk. I want to know all about what happened since I left and how you ended up here!" He started walking, but stopped when he noticed she wasn't right behind him. Instead she was painfully hopping and stumbling after him. "El?"

"It's nothing," she grunted, stubbornly continuing to limp forward. "Just a sprained ankle. I'm fine."

Cohvu rolled his eyes, grinning again. "I see you haven't changed a bit." He picked her up as if she weighed less than a feather and started walking, ignoring her protests. She eventually stopped protesting altogether; at least he was actually carrying her in his arms, rather than flinging her over his shoulder, and she knew she wouldn't have come far with that ankle, anyway. She just hated being dependant.

He took her to what had to be his home here in the hide-out and set her down on a chair. "You look terrible," he observed. "Do you want to wash up? I could find you a clean dress – one without any tears in it," he added, raising his eyebrows at the state of her dress after she'd fallen into that hole, "and you can get clean and eat something… and then we could talk. It's been a while."

She agreed gratefully and after she'd washed, eaten, and changed into a clean dress Cohvu had gotten from a fellow resistance member, she already felt much better than she had before. Cohvu handed her a mug of hot soup and cradled one himself as he asked her how she had ended up here and listened to the story she told him. She told him everything – from their year at Shiz after he had left to her past few week on the run from Morrible and the Gale Force – and when she finished, he slowly shook his head, clearly flabbergasted.

"Sweet Oz," he said, eyes wide. "You… Morrible… and the Wizard is… I mean, you're… sweet _Oz_."

She chuckled a little at his face. "Yeah. You could say that."

"First things first, though," he said. "You were looking for that missing Kitten with Fiyero and then you fell down a hole and lost consciousness, right? And then Traver found you and brought you here? But that means Fiyero doesn't know where you are right now."

Elphaba's face fell – of course she'd already realised that a long time ago, but there hadn't been much she could do about it. "I know. He must be worried sick," she said, biting her lip. "I just hope he won't do anything rash. Knowing him…" She trailed off, but Cohvu understood, anyway.

"We should get you back as soon as possible," he said. "We can catch up later."

"Or you could come with us and tell me all about what you've been up to on the way there," she suggested. "Fiyero would love to see you again, too."

Cohvu grimaced and shook his head. "Sorry, El. I can't. There's too much work for me here – I still have a lot to attend to. We're planning this big thing in the Emerald City in a while and my help is needed."

She straightened up at the words "Emerald City". "What are you going to do?"

"Sorry," he said. "Top secret."

She levelled him with a glare. He shifted uncomfortably. Her glare intensified and he squirmed, trying to avoid her gaze. "Oz, El, I forgot how scary you can be."

She narrowed her eyes and he held up his hands in defeat. "All right, all right! We're going to assassinate Madame Morrible at the Lurline Festival next week. But don't tell _anyone_ I told you that," he cautioned. "I'm serious, El. We could both be killed if anyone found out."

She stared at him. " _Assassinate_ Madame Morrible?" she echoed incredulously. "Are you insane?"

"I certainly hope not." He gave her a half-smile. "Relax, El. It's all been thought out very well and arrangements are being made. We just think it needs to happen, especially now that the Wizard is unconscious. She's the most influential person in Oz at the moment and she is also the most horrible one – we know she's the brain behind the Animal Banns and all the other law changes that have been restricting people's rights for the past years. She's evil and she needs to be stopped."

She looked at him. Back at Shiz, she'd never thought she'd one day sit across from Cohvu and hear him talking about killing a woman in cold blood; but then again, they had all changed a lot since Shiz. Everything had changed since Shiz, even if Shiz had actually only been a week ago for some of them. And she knew he was right.

"How are you going to do it?" she asked.

He hesitated. Then he admitted, "Explosion."

"How are you going to control that?" she wanted to know. "If you just set off an explosion in the area where she is, a lot of innocent bystanders will get hurt!"

Cohvu sighed. He leaned forward and took Elphaba's hands in his own. "El, listen. We… we're not like the resistance you've been involved with," he tried to explain. "They are mostly taking in fugitive humans and Animals, caring for them and trying to keep them safe from the Gale Force and the Ozian people in general. What we do… it's not about defending ourselves – it's about attacking those who try to hurt us. Innocent people sometimes get caught in the crossfire, but that is merely seen as a price that has to be paid for the eventual goal – a peaceful Oz, ruled by someone fair who cares about _all_ of Oz's inhabitants and not just about the "normal" ones."

"Cohvu…" She didn't know what to say. Was he actually trying to defend the deaths of innocents? She understood all about sacrificing things for a bigger goal; but in her mind, there was a limit to that – a limit one simply did not cross. Dreams, material goods – such things could be sacrificed… but not _people_.

"I know, El," he said with a sigh, pulling away. "And believe me, it used to bother me in the beginning, too."

"But not anymore?"

He shook his head. "It's always hard when innocent people die," he conceded. "But sometimes it's necessary. I've learned to see that by now. The Wizard isn't holding back, so why should we? And this is our chance – with him out of the running for the time being, the entire government makes an easier target. We need to act as soon as possible if we want to overthrow them."

She supposed she understood his reasoning – agreed with it, even. She told him so. "It's just your methods that I think are wrong," she said quietly.

"Don't say that aloud around here," Cohvu warned her. "You could be considered a traitor." He sighed, rising to his feet. "I should get you back. We'll save my life story for some other time."

She let him help her to her feet and then allowed him to pick her up again and carry her out of the house. They had barely moved a few steps, however, when they were stopped by Eno.

"Wait," he said. "Cohvu, could I borrow her for a moment? Barridon wants a word with her."

Cohvu looked puzzled, but he nodded. "Sure." When Eno turned, Cohvu understood what he wanted and he placed Elphaba on the Stag's back.

"Hold on," Eno said over his shoulder as he started walking. He took Elphaba to a hut in the centre of the hide-out. At the door, he called out, "It's me!" and the door opened. He went inside.

There was an old-looking Eagle sitting at a table, a human man on his right side and a Fox on his left. Eno closed the door behind him and Elphaba slid off his back, balancing on one foot.

"This is the girl Traver brought," said Eno. "I have seen her do magic with my own eyes."

The Eagle motioned for Eno and Elphaba to sit down. "Is that true?" he asked the green girl. "You can do magic?"

"Yes," she replied cautiously, figuring that since Eno had already seen her powers in action, it would be no use denying that she had them. She was wary, though. What did they want with her? She had a suspicion, but she decided to wait and hear what this Eagle – Barridon, probably – had to say.

The Fox seemed excited. "You're a sorceress?" she asked, nearly bouncing in her chair. "You could help us! With magic on our side, the chances of our plans actually succeeding will be so much bigger!"

"Hush, Kiki," the Eagle said with a glance in the Fox's direction. He looked at Eno for a moment before returning his attention to Elphaba again. "Are you the witch who attacked our Wonderful Wizard?" he asked.

She cringed a little. "Yes. But I didn't do it," she added immediately. "It was Madame Morrible, but she blamed me, so I had to flee. I assume you read the story in a newspaper somewhere?"

He smiled knowingly. "I did indeed. Tell me, though – why would Madame Morrible attack the Wizard?"

She told the entire story once more – a brief and slightly adapted version this time. She explained quickly how it had come to pass that she was invited to meet the Wizard and then proceeded to tell the resistance members about her discovery that the Wizard was behind it all, but she omitted the other discovery she had made about him being her biological father. She didn't trust these people and she knew that if they were already interested in her because of her magic, they would be even more intrigued once they found out she was the daughter of the man they were trying so hard to overthrow. Instead, she just said that the Wizard wanted her to work for him so badly that he was willing to change his policies for her, that Morrible didn't agree, and that the Press Secretary had attacked the Wizard for that reason.

The man on Barridon's right frowned. "And you want to go back... where?"

"To the other hide-out," Elphaba answered. "That's where I originally came from and I have to get back there as soon as possible. They'll be looking for me."

Eno, who was still sitting beside her, looked at her for a while. "You are aware," he said slowly, "that we are not going to let you leave?"

"You'd be too valuable to us," Barridon agreed. "And in any case, we do not know if you can be trusted. We can't let you leave and take the risk of you betraying us."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "So what?" she asked incredulously. "You're going to keep me prisoner here? Is that your plan?"

"If we have to," the Eagle said calmly. "I'd much rather have you willingly join us, however. You can do much good here – isn't that what you want?"

"Don't get us wrong, though," the man on his left warned. "We are not giving you the choice to leave or stay here. We're giving you the choice between staying willingly and making us force you to stay."

Elphaba stared at Barridon for a while, then at the man, and then at the Fox. The latter was wide-eyed and clearly uncomfortable, but she didn't say anything. The young witch glanced at Eno next, but the Stag's expression was unreadable. She wasn't going to have to expect any help from any of these people, that was for sure. She suddenly wished Cohvu had come here with her.

"What is it going to be?" the man asked.

Elphaba glared at him, her dark eyes flashing. "I am not staying."

He sighed impatiently. "Did you not hear us? We just said –"

"I heard you," the green girl interrupted him. "I just don't think you realise who you're up against."

The man raised his eyebrows.

"I escaped Madame Morrible and her Gale Force," said Elphaba, straightening. "I've studied magic for three years. I've been through a lot in my life, but I'm still here. I'm not going to let you keep me here against my will."

"You're outnumbered," Barridon said patiently, "and you cannot even walk, let alone run. Sometimes you simply need to recognise when you are defeated, girl."

She threw her head back and cackled – the sound Galinda had always shuddered at, claiming it made her sound like a wicked witch. "Try me."

The human man scowled and rose to his feet, swiftly moving around to table and reaching for her. Before he could touch her, however, she had already blasted him backwards with her magic. He hit a wall and fell down, dazed for a moment.

"Please calm down," said Barridon, giving Eno, who had risen and moved towards Elphaba as well, a warning look. "Let's be civil about this. Kiki, get us something to drink," he said to the Fox, who looked at him for a moment. He gave her a nod. "I think we will be here for another while."

She dashed off and the Eagle met Elphaba's gaze.

"Think about the things you could do for us," he urged her. "With your help, we can bring Morrible down sooner than anyone would have thought and the plan would nearly be fool-proof. I thought that was what you wanted, too. Why else would you have joined a resistance?"

She sighed. "Listen," she said, leaning forward. She paused when Kiki came back and waited until the Fox had placed mugs of tea in front of everyone before she continued. "I want to bring Morrible down as badly as you do, but I do not think that violence is the answer and I will not help you if you can't guarantee me that no innocent bystanders will get hurt."

Barridon played with his mug, took a sip, and then shook his head. "I cannot guarantee you that."

"Then we are done talking."

"Give me a moment." He looked at her thoughtfully, studying her. "I want your help. Perhaps we can figure out an arrangement." He gestured at her cup. "You should drink that before it gets cold. Tea always helps me calm down."

"I don't need to calm down," she snapped, "I just need to get out of here!"

The Eagle just kept looking at her and she relented eventually, picking up the tea and taking a few sips to appease him. If she could get out of here without having to use her magic, she'd have to try. He was right, after all – she was hurt and she couldn't even walk. She was fairly certain she would be able to take them down with her magic and escape, but where could she go? She wouldn't get very far crawling. She'd tried that already. For now, she'd better just cooperate and search for an opportunity to get away.

She looked back up at Barridon, but she suddenly found that her vision was swimming and she blinked. It only got worse. She was dizzy and a little nauseous and suddenly it felt like her head was filled with cotton. A terrible suspicion dawned on her.

She croaked, "What was in that tea?"

Barridon was smiling again. "I told you," he said. "If you won't stay here willingly, we'll force you to stay. I already saw that it will be no use arguing with you – apparently you're too stubborn for that – and so this is us forcing you. Don't worry," he said, but his voice was starting to sound strange. "It's just a tranquiliser. You'll be fine when you wake up, but you will be restrained so that we can keep you in check."

She wanted to scream curse words and unleash her magic at him, but her body wasn't obeying her anymore. Her vision blurred some more and she lost her balance, collapsing in a heap on the floor.

* * *

 **I promise that the next chapter won't have a cliffy :3.**


	15. The Missing

**15\. The Missing**

"Nessarose, darling?"

Nessa turned and smiled sadly at her father. "Hi."

He placed one hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right? You seem so sombre," he said, which she thought was a rather stupid thing to say.

"I miss her," she said.

Frexspar's face hardened. "Nessa, she will not be mentioned again in this house. She has disgraced us. All her life, she has brought shame upon our family, but this is the final straw – I told you that. We are not speaking of her ever again."

"She's my sister!" Nessarose objected. "She's... or was... the closest thing to a mother I've ever had. Father, I love her. I don't believe she attacked the Wizard – she would never do that! There must be some sort of mistake!"

"Your sister is an abomination, a criminal, and a curse. This conversation is over, Nessa." He turned. "When is that friend of yours arriving again?"

"This afternoon," said Nessa, going back to staring out of the window. "Just after lunch."

Frex nodded. "Good. I'll make sure the guest room is ready." With that, he left.

Nessarose spent the rest of the morning staring out of her bedroom window, from where she could see Boq's house. He would be coming over soon, too. She was glad about that – she could definitely use some company that was not her father. As always, Frex was nothing but kind to her and he was always willing to take care of whatever she wanted and to listen to anything she had to say... anything but the thing she really wanted to talk about. Elphaba. Her sister. Her sister who was currently on the run from the authorities because she had supposedly attacked the Wizard she had worked so hard to one day meet.

Nessa liked to think that she knew her sister. She recognised the fact that they'd always had more of a mother-daughter than a sibling relationship, but she'd grown up with Elphaba. She knew what the green girl was scared of, what her hopes and dreams were, what her habits were and which small gestures revealed that she was nervous or excited. She had listened to Elphaba's rambling about meeting the Wizard for three years at Shiz and even before that, the older girl had always dreamt of doing something that would help other people in some way. Not just because she was a passionate and caring person and she wanted to help, Nessa knew; but also, in a way, to redeem herself. She'd never really known the full extent of Elphaba's views on the subject of her green skin – aside from the fact that she hated it – but what Nessa did know was that her sister believed some of the things their father had always told her: that it was a disgrace, a stain on their family's name... perhaps even a curse.

She sighed and re-directed her attention to the window, but she perked up when she saw Boq making his way down the road. She quickly wheeled herself out of her room, which was on the ground floor, and straight over to the front door, reaching up to open it.

The Munchkin smiled warmly when he saw her. "Hey, Nessa." He bent down to kiss her cheek. "How are you doing?"

"I've been better, honestly," she said, moving aside to let him in. "Galinda isn't here yet," she added when she saw him looking around, "but she should be arriving shortly. Do you want anything to drink?"

"I'm fine," he said. "I'll wait for Galinda."

He followed Nessa to the parlour, politely greeting Frex when the governor came out to investigate the voices he'd heard and then, on Nessa's request, closing the door to the parlour behind them.

"I don't want him overhearing," Nessa explained softly. "He doesn't want me to talk about her."

Boq bit his lip. "It must be hard for you, Nessa, reading and hearing all these things about her... but for him, too. His reputation is at stake, you know. The daughter of the governor of Munchkinland attacking the Wonderful Wizard of Oz – that looks an awful lot like rebellion and could even be seen as a first act of war."

Nessa whirled around to face him. "You're not saying you _believe_ everything they say about her?!" she demanded.

He fidgeted a little, obviously uncomfortable. "I... I don't know, Nessa," he admitted. "I mean... it doesn't sound like the Elphaba we know, but what else could have happened? They wouldn't _lie_ about it, would they?"

"I don't know! All I know is that my sister would never attack the man she's been dying to meet her entire life long!" Nessa turned her back towards him and crossed her arms.

Boq sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. You're probably right."

She didn't say anything, just huffed. The doorbell rang and Boq quickly leapt to his feet. "I'll get it!"

"Isn't that convenient?" Nessa sneered; but once the Munchkin returned with Galinda on his heels, she smiled, anyway. "Hi, Galinda."

"Nessa!" The blonde hugged her friend. "It's good to see you again! How have you been? I've brought someone," she rambled on without waiting for an answer. "I hope you don't mind an extra guest, but it was really important. I brought you the _real_ story about Elphie," she announced dramatically.

Nessa blinked. "What?"

Galinda just giggled and winked at the younger girl. "Dearest Gaz never could keep anything from me when I fluttered my eyelashes at him, could you, Gazilon?"

The man in question, who was just entering the room, rolled his eyes at Galinda and Nessa quipped, "I seem to recall you doing a lot of eyelash-fluttering back at Shiz, Galinda, and yet you two never ended up together, did you?"

"Okay," said Galinda, pointing a menacing finger at Nessarose, "you _so_ sounded like your sister just now. One sarcastic Elphie in my life is enough, thank you very much. Even though, you know, she isn't technically in my life at the moment." Her face fell. "Oh, Nessa, do you think she's okay?"

"If anyone can take care of herself, it's Elphaba," said Boq, putting an arm around his girlfriend. Galinda leaned into him, putting her head on his shoulder.

"And she has Fiyero with her," Gazilon added, at which three heads whipped in his direction.

He sighed. "Yes, fine, I'll tell you what I know," he said, looking around to make sure there was no way they could be overheard. "But you need to keep absolutely quiet about this, do you understand? What I'm about to tell you could get me in serious trouble. I basically committed treason by helping her."

"Gazilon," said Nessa softly, "we're her friends. I'm her sister. We just want to know if she's safe and we're only grateful that you've helped her."

"What made you decide to come and tell us?" Boq asked curiously and Gazilon cast a reproachful look in Galinda's direction.

"It took me some effort," the blonde admitted cheerfully. "I wrote to him at first, asking him if he knew anything about Elphie, since he lives in the City and that's where it happened. And Gazilon, goodly as he is, wrote me back that he was pretty sure she was okay, but that he couldn't say anything else. So then naturally I had to come over to hear the whole story, because you can't just tell me that you know something but can't tell me. I'm too curious for that."

Nessa giggled.

"So I went to the City and threatened, begged, and cried until he finally agreed to come here."

"She actually cried," Gazilon said with a pained look. "I hate it when girls cry."

"And now here he is," Galinda ended triumphantly. She sat down on the couch, with Boq taking place beside her. Gazilon fell down in an arm chair and Nessa wheeled herself closer to them all. Three pairs of eyes settled on Gazilon and the young man relented, heaving a sigh before telling them all he knew about Elphaba and Fiyero's time in the Emerald City.

* * *

Elphaba struggled weakly against all the hands reaching out for her, trying to force them back somehow – either by hitting and kicking them or by using her magic – but whatever sedative they had given her was taking effect fast and she couldn't hold them off. She was lifted onto Eno's back and moved outside. That was the last thing she remembered before losing consciousness.

She couldn't have been out for long, however, because when she opened her eyes again, she was still on the Stag's back and still outside. Cohvu was there, shouting something at Barridon; Kiki, the Fox, was trying to calm him down, but to no avail. Her vision wavered and then went black again.

The next time she came to, she was on the floor of a house, with Cohvu crouching beside her, watching her worriedly. She couldn't see anyone else, but there was a closed door and she was vaguely aware of a pounding sound. Knocking? She blinked, fighting to keep herself focused.

"El?" Cohvu asked. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah," she mumbled, wincing at the stab of pain in her head.

He touched her shoulder. "Hold on. I'm going to get you out of here."

"You'll get in trouble," she said, slurring, and he gave her a look that told her she was being ridiculous. He didn't even say anything as he scooped her up in his arms and hurried through a small hallway, peeking around corners and taking her to a room at the back of the house. He carefully set her down on the window sill, hoisted himself up and out of the window, and then picked her up again. He started running.

"Cohvu," she tried. "You'll never get me out of here."

He flashed her a grin. "Oh, but I know the holes in this place's security." He zigzagged between houses and disappeared between the trees. He had to duck away once when someone was approaching; but other than that, they encountered no trouble and before she knew it, they were over the hill and moving into a valley between the mountains.

Cohvu was still running, but he had to stop after a while to catch his breath. He laid her down on the ground and sat beside her, his head between his knees. "Oz, I need to work on my stamina."

She let out a throaty chuckle. "You've come quite a way with me as an extra weight. I'd say your stamina is fine."

He looked at her. "I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have brought you inside the hide-out at all. I should have known they wouldn't let you leave. They're careful with strangers at the best of times, always afraid someone will betray our location, but after seeing your magic... it's like I told you – they're not like the resistance you know about. These people are ruthless, in a way just like the Wizard and Morrible. They will stop at nothing to get what they want. If they'd have thought you would be a threat to their cause, they'd have killed you without a second thought."

Icy cold fingers crawled down Elphaba's spine and she shivered.

Cohvu squeezed her shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

"I really want to say "fine"," she said, still slurring a little, "but the truthful answer is, however much I hate to admit it, "weak"."

"Yeah, well, they used a pretty strong sedative on you," said Cohvu, looking her over. "I'm actually surprised you didn't stay unconscious. Then again, you were always strong-willed, and maybe your magic kicked in when you panicked... you should have been out for quite a while, but you were barely unconscious for a few minutes."

"That was a few minutes too long," she muttered.

He chuckled in agreement. "Come on," he said, lifting her up again and waiting for her to wrap her arm around his neck for balance before he started to walk. "Let's go. We still have quite a way ahead of us."

"Where are we going, then?" she asked, laying her head against his shoulder.

He shook his head. "Where do you think? Your hide-out, of course. I know where it is." He grinned down at her. "Let's get you back to Mr Prince."

* * *

 **See how nice I am? No cliffy!**

 **Favourite lines?**


	16. To Your Health

**Hey guys, I'm sorry for the update delay - I got home fairly late last night with a killer headache that still hasn't disappeared :(. In any case, here's the next chapter! Fiyeraba reunion for the win ^^.**

 **Cassidy: *cackles evilly* You just wait and see! (Sorry. After your review, which was brilliant and very true, I just had to. :P)**

* * *

 **16\. To Your Health**

To say that Fiyero was sick with worry over Elphaba was a gross understatement.

He knew that pretty much the entire hide-out was watching him with pity in their eyes, wherever he went. Everyone kept asking him if they could so anything for him, but he always told them no. They couldn't help him. They had searched for hours and hours and there hadn't been a sign of Elphaba anywhere. He knew they all thought she must have been taken by the Gale Force, although no-one had said that aloud to him. They were probably afraid they'd send him straight over the edge if they did say that.

He'd combed out the woods and the mountains for a long time, both by himself and together with the other Animals. He had even looked through Elphaba's spell books to try and find a way to locate her, even though that would most likely be useless, anyway, since he didn't have any magical powers. He was desperate. He knew she could take care of herself, but he also knew that if she was okay, she would have been back by now. Unless she was lost, but then she probably wouldn't have survived the night. Nights were cold up here, there were animals roaming these mountains and there were treacherous cliffs everywhere.

He shuddered, trying to force those thoughts away, but mental images kept flooding his mind. Images of Elphaba torn apart by animals, Elphaba shot by the Gale Force, Elphaba in Southstairs, Elphaba dead at the bottom of a cliff…

He was sitting in the grass late that afternoon, watching Bob, Senzio, and the other children play, when Noah Doko and a Piglet came running down a street, looking excited.

"What's going on?" Bob asked his sister, stopping the game. The others stopped to listen as well.

"Someone is trying to get into the hide-out," Noah told them breathlessly.

"It's a man," the Piglet added. "We couldn't see much, though – Dad sent us away, saying that we're too curious for our own good."

"Is he dangerous?" Bob asked, wide-eyed, but Noah shook her head.

"I don't think so," she said. "He didn't seem hostile or anything. He was just trying to get in." She spotted Fiyero. "Mr Fiyero, I think he said he was looking for you. He said he knows you."

Fiyero frowned. Of course he knew a lot of men, but no-one who knew he was here, at this hide-out. Unless it was Gazilon, but why would he take the risk of visiting them here? He could get in major trouble for that.

"Someone will come to get you soon enough," the Piglet assured him. "They are just checking him for weapons and stuff first, so that they're sure he won't attack anyone."

Sure enough, Senzio's father, Perrin, soon came slithering up to them. "Come quickly, Fiyero," he said the moment he was in earshot. "It's Elphaba."

" _What_?" Fiyero instantly leapt to his feet, his heart pounding in his throat. What about Elphaba? Did this guy have news about her? But what kind of news? Had he found her body somewhere or had he heard she had been captured and imprisoned by the Gale Force?

He ran after Perrin, questions whizzing through his mind, but he skidded to a halt the moment they reached the outskirts of the village. When Perrin had said "It's Elphaba", Fiyero hadn't actually expected Elphaba to _be_ there; but there she was, sitting in the grass and talking to Leyo, the doctor, with the man who had apparently found her standing beside her. As if she could feel his eyes on her, she looked up and her face lit up.

"Yero!"

He was by her side before she'd even finished speaking, but he stumbled and lost his balance at the last moment so that he basically ended up throwing himself at her and they both fell over.

She actually giggled, she was so happy to see him. "Knocking me over again, I see," she teased him with a grin. "I'm sensing a pattern here. Are you going to deliver a clever line about green meaning go now?"

She sobered, however, when she felt him clutching her tightly to him, muttering, "Thank Oz" into her hair. "Yero, I'm okay. Really."

She didn't look okay, he noticed when he pulled back a little to study her. She looked pale and tired, with dark circles under her eyes. When he ran his hand over her hair, he felt her wince a little and he gave her a worried look.

"I hit my head," she said. "I'll tell you everything, okay? Let's get inside first. Will you let him come in as well now?" she addressed Leyo and a few of the Animals, who were standing some distance away. "He isn't armed and he helped me. I've known him for a long time – we can trust him."

For the first time, Fiyero took a good look at the man who had apparently rescued Elphaba and he gasped. "Cohvu?!"

The blond man flashed him a grin. "Nice to see you, too, Yero."

Fiyero let go of Elphaba for just a moment so that he could give Cohvu a brief hug. "Wow. I hadn't expected you here."

"Neither had I," said Elphaba, "but if it weren't for him, I'd still be in a load of trouble."

The prince stared at her, but she waved him away wearily. "Later."

"You can come in," one of the Animals told Cohvu and they started moving in the direction of the village itself.

Cohvu looked at Elphaba. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," she assured him. "I think that tranquiliser is nearly out of my system."

"Tranquiliser?" Fiyero echoed and she bit her lip.

"I was drugged," she said. "It's a long story. I'm fine, Yero, really," she added when she saw the concern in his blue eyes. She pushed herself to her feet, hesitated a moment, and then swallowed her pride. "Can you help me? I sprained my ankle."

Cohvu stared at her. "Did you just actually ask for help?" he asked, pretending to be incredulous. "Are you sure you're feeling all right? Should we call that doctor back?"

"Ha, ha," said Elphaba sarcastically, even as Fiyero scooped her up in his arms and started carrying her over to the hide-out. "You're so funny, Cohvu."

"Can you alert the newspaper, Fiyero? I'll write to _OzBeat Magazine_ right away. The whole world should know that Elphaba Thropp just asked for help for the first time in her life! I never thought I'd see the day!"

Elphaba dropped her head against Fiyero's shoulder and muttered something under her breath. After that, it stayed suspiciously quiet from where Cohvu was walking. Fiyero glanced at the other boy for a moment, only to find him scowling in Elphaba's direction.

"What did you do?" the prince asked and Elphaba grinned at him.

"Muting spell."

Cohvu opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He pointed at himself, then at Elphaba, and then pretended to strangle someone.

Elphaba snorted. "Oh, like you'd risk your life to save me from your creepy rebellion buddies only to murder me later. It'd have been a waste of time and effort. Don't worry, the spell will wear off within a few minutes." She smirked at him. He poked out his tongue at her.

"Fiyero, over here," Leyo called from the doorway of a cabin a short distance away. He beckoned them. "I want to quickly check her over to make sure she really is okay."

"Oh, joy," Elphaba muttered, even as Fiyero changed direction.

"Cohvu?" Fiyero called over his shoulder. "You can go on – we'll meet you at Amie's house. She's the Swan."

The blond man raised a thumb at his friend and Fiyero ducked into the doctor's cottage with Elphaba still cradled in his arms.

"Down the hallway, first room on the left," Leyo instructed the prince. "I'll be right there – just put her on the bed."

Fiyero carried Elphaba into the appointed room and set her down on the bed inside before sitting down beside her and drawing her into his arms. She kissed him softly before snuggling into his side. "I suppose I might as well tell you the story now."

"Please," he said and she started talking, giving him a brief summary of how she'd fallen into the hole, hit her head and lost consciousness, and how she had gotten out. She told him about Traver finding her and taking her to his home and about the resistance hide-out, which had turned out to be the wrong one. She then proceeded to explain how she had come across Cohvu and how she had gotten drugged in the end.

"And you're really sure you're okay?" he asked again, anxiously.

She nodded against his shoulder. "I'm a little fuzzy, but I think I slept most of it off on our way back here. It was a few hours' walk and I kept nodding off." She grimaced. "Poor Cohvu must've had a hard time carrying me all the way back here. Remind me to thank him again later."

Fiyero dropped a kiss to the top of her head. "I'll thank him myself, too. I don't even want to think about what could have happened if he hadn't gotten you out of there."

She looked up at him. "We'll have to move," she said. "This will be the first place they search for us. We have to leave as soon as possible." She just didn't know where they could go, but they would figure something out somehow.

"I'll talk to Amie about it," Fiyero promised, just as Leyo came into the room, carrying some things. He smiled at the couple as he put the objects he was holding down and started rummaging around, preparing things. Fiyero scooted aside a little so that Leyo could examine Elphaba. He checked her breathing and peer into her eyes with a small light. He gingerly prodded the bump and small wound at the back of her head and treated them the best he could before moving on to her ankle, covering it in ointment and then bandaging it up tightly again.

"You've been lucky," he told Elphaba as he continued doing tests on her, prodding and poking her from all angles. "I don't think you have a concussion, so your head will be fine, and that ankle does not seem to be broken. You shouldn't put any weight on it for a while, if you can avoid it, so that it can heal on its own. I'll give you some ointment for you to rub into it every day..." He frowned as he was listening to her heartbeat, trailing off, and Fiyero sat up a little straighter.

"What?" he asked anxiously. "What is it?"

Leyo shook his head. "Nothing, Fiyero," he said gently. "I just need to check something."

Elphaba watched him as he moved back to the table and rummaged around, checking the notes he'd made and then writing something down.

"I'm going to extract some blood, Elphaba," he said, preparing a needle. Elphaba kept still as he drew the blood from her and he turned around again to Fiyero took her hand and she flashed him a smile.

"He's probably just looking at what exactly that sedative did and whether or not it's gone from my blood already," she assured him. "That probably isn't the case – not entirely, anyway."

"But then why did he look so worried when he was listening to your heart?" Fiyero whispered and she shrugged.

"Maybe my heartbeat is too slow," she said. "Sedatives can do that, you know." She squeezed his hand. "I'm fine, Yero."

"Yes," Leyo agreed as he came to stand by the couple again. "Yes, you are, Elphaba. Nevertheless, there is something I would like to talk to you about."

"I told you about the sedative, right?" she asked and he nodded.

"Yes. It's still in your blood, but it can't do you any more damage," he said reassuringly. "You will probably need a bit more sleep for a while, so don't be alarmed if she sleeps more than usual," he added to Fiyero. "That's a side effect only to be expected, but it's nothing to worry about."

Fiyero let out a breath, but Elphaba kept looking at the doctor. "So what do you still need to talk to me about?"

Leyo hesitated for a moment, then said, "Elphaba... you are pregnant."

They both stared at him for a while.

"Wait. _What_?" said Elphaba, shocked, and Leyo nodded.

"I thought I heard something when I was checking your heart," he explained. "Like there was another heartbeat, very faint; and indeed, the blood test is positive. You're having a baby, Elphaba. According to my calculations, you're about three months along."

She just kept gawking at him and then at Fiyero, who quickly tried to hide his panic at this news by shaking his head. Before he knew it, he'd blurted out, "Well, that's bad timing."

Elphaba's gaze turned icy and Fiyero winced; but before he could even apologise, she'd already slid off the bed and was half limping, half hopping out of the room, obviously seething.

* * *

 **To those who suspected that Elphaba might be pregnant: congratulations, you have passed your mindreading exam. (Or maybe I'm just getting predictable. Or maybe there are so many fanfics about a pregnant Elphaba out there that at every possible symptom, everyone goes "OMO she's pregnant!".)**

 **On a different note: I posted one of my short stories on Wattpad a while ago (the one based on _If You Close Your Eyes_ ), in case any of you want to check it out! ****www dot wattpad dot com slash myworks/52049838/write/175934330**


	17. Where Heartbeats Go

**Once more sorry for the delay, home late, too tired to update, blah blah... from now on, I'll try to be on schedule again. (Although since I'm going to Amsterdam for Willemijn Verkaik's solo concert on Saturday, I might not be able to update (on time) again - just so you know.)**

* * *

 **17\. Where Heartbeats Go**

"Fae..." He knocked on the door again. "Come on, you know I didn't mean it like that!"

"We are told we're having a baby and all you can say is "that's bad timing"!" she yelled from inside the room. "How did you not mean it like that?! What kind of reaction is that?"

"I panicked!"

"Oh, so now us having a baby is a reason to panic?"

He cringed. This was not going well. "Fae, please. You know me. I'm a bit stupid sometimes. Please let me in."

"No. I hate you."

"That's just the hormones talking."

An icy silence greeted him from the other side of the door.

He sighed and turned around to face Amie and Cohvu. The young man glanced at Fiyero for a moment. "You are really not good at this, are you?" he asked with a grin, shaking his head. "Never blame a woman's behaviour on hormones. Especially not a _pregnant_ woman's behaviour. No matter how true it is, they don't want to hear it and they'll kill you for it."

"That advice came a little too late," said Fiyero sourly. "How do you even know that, anyway?"

Cohvu chuckled. "Just because I'm not attracted to women, doesn't mean I don't know a lot about them and how they think."

"Elphaba?" Amie called. "I've brought you back some dinner. You should eat well, especially now."

The door opened and she came limping out. When Fiyero reached out to help her, she smacked his hand away – hard – and once she reached the table, she sat down and made conversation with Amie as she ate, completely ignoring Fiyero. Cohvu gave the prince a pat on the back for good luck and then left the cottage to make himself useful. The Swan excused herself as well after a while, after which Elphaba went silent again.

"Elphaba," Fiyero tried. "Just talk to me."

She snorted, not saying anything else. Her face was turned away from him, so he had no idea what she was even thinking.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I really didn't mean it like that. I just blurted it out – I guess I was a little shocked – but I know it was the wrong thing to say. Hey," he said, alarmed, when he heard her sniffling. "Are you crying?"

"You're not even happy," she accused, finally turning to face him so that he could see the tears in her eyes. "Do you even want this baby? Or is this finally enough reason for you to get out of here and try to find a normal girl? Unfortunately, you're too late with that, since you're already a fugitive and all, but I'm sure you'll figure something out. Maybe you could track down Swan. You'd be the perfect couple." She was sobbing now and Fiyero pulled her into his arms, tightening his hold on her when he felt her struggle, until she finally relaxed.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," he said softly, stroking her hair. "You know I didn't mean it like that. It just came as a surprise, that's all. Of course I'm happy. I love you. You know I've always wanted to start a family with you and you know I won't be going anywhere. Not without you, anyway."

"I know," she hiccupped. "I'm sorry. Now I'm being horrible."

He chuckled, relieved that the worst seemed to be over. "Of course not." He wanted to add that she was just hormonal, but decided to take Cohvu's advice in stride and keep his mouth shut about that. Instead, he pulled back a little to wipe the tears from her cheeks and kiss her forehead. He placed one hand on her stomach, grinning. "We're having a baby, Fae. How could I ever be anything but happy about that?"

She smiled despite her tears, covering his hand with hers. "You were right, though," she said in a small voice. "The timing is terrible."

"We'll make it work," he promised her, cupping her face and bringing her closer for a long, deep kiss that left them both breathless. He stroked her cheek and pressed another soft kiss to her lips. "We'll be fine. We'll find a way."

She nodded and sighed. He picked her up and carried her outside, setting her down in the grass so that they could watch the children play a small distance away – he knew she liked doing that just as much as he did. He sat down behind her and she relaxed against his chest, his arms coming around her and his chin on her shoulder.

"You know," he said quietly in her ear, "I know you don't want to hear it, but this does explain why you've been acting so strange lately. The jealousy, the crying, the anger, the mood swings..."

She huffed, but a small smile was playing around her lips. "I'm kind of glad," she confessed. "I was starting to think I'd been possessed or cursed or something."

"Oh, Elphaba..." He shook his head. "You should have talked to me."

"I didn't want to bother you with my paranoid ideas." She cut him off before he could even open his mouth. "And I know you'll just say I wouldn't be bothering you, but it felt that way and we had enough on our minds already. I didn't _really_ think magic was involved," she clarified. "I just didn't know what it was that made me act – and feel – so different and that scared me a little. I'm glad I know now."

He smiled, entwining his fingers with hers and pulling her a little closer. "And the reason is amazing."

They sat in silence for a while, just watching the children play, before she broke the silence. "We'll have to start packing soon."

Fiyero nodded. He'd briefly spoken with Amie while Elphaba had been ignoring him. The Swan had arranged for the couple to travel out of the hide-out and on to another one with a few other people who were leaving – the Dokos among them. The Cat family was travelling south, wanting to settle in Quadling Country eventually so the children could grow up there in relative safety. Cohvu and Leyo, as well as a Zebra living in the hide-out, would come with them. They would all be leaving that night, since they didn't know if the rebels from the other hide-out would come looking for Elphaba and if so, when they would be here.

She'd been worried that she had put the village in danger by coming back here, but everyone had assured her that, even though they were not part of the same resistance, they would never hurt one another. Amie had explained that the rebellion Elphaba had briefly stayed with was, indeed, forceful and rather ruthless, but that they all acknowledged they had the same goal and that they wouldn't dare hurt other Animals. They needed everyone they could to help fight the Wizard and Morrible.

"They might not even come at all," Amie had said. "Didn't you say they were working on some great plan? They'll be too busy with that to chase after you, even though they did want you to join them." Elphaba had been reassured by that – a little, anyway, but there wasn't anything else she could do about it and so she had tried to let it go.

The playing children were called inside by their parents and Elphaba found herself wondering what it would be like to have a child of her own. Her hand went to her stomach before she even fully realised what she was doing. She supposed she would find out the answer to her question sooner than she'd thought.

"Three months..." said Fiyero softly, obviously thinking the same thing she was. "In six months, we'll be parents."

"If everything goes well." Elphaba had never been one for optimism.

He squeezed her closer. "It will."

"What kind of life is this for a baby, Yero?" she asked him sadly, gesturing at the cottages around them. "Constantly moving around, always afraid to get caught? Our child wouldn't be able to go to school like a normal kid, he won't ever have a carefree life..."

"Unless you manage to find a way to cure the Wizard soon," Fiyero interrupted her firmly, "and he clears your name."

She sighed. "That sounds like grasping at straws to me."

"Maybe," he said. "But as long as there are still straws, we'll keep on grasping."

She chuckled despite herself and he planted a kiss on her head. "Stop worrying, Fae. We'll be fine." He rose to his feet and held out his hand to help her up. "Come on, let's go pack our things." She let him pull her to her feet and didn't protest as he lifted her up once again and carried her inside.

* * *

Gazilon sighed as he pushed away the paperwork he had been working on and pinched the bridge of his nose. Ever since he had travelled back to the Emerald City after his visit to Munchkinland – along with Galinda and Boq, who had wanted to come along to see if they could help – he had been working on this; but to no avail. "Easier said than done, Galinda," he muttered to himself, imitating his blonde friend with a high voice. "'Oh, Gazzy, can't you try and track her down so we can see she's okay? Pretty pretty please, Gazzy?' No, actually, Galinda, I can't. The best men in the Gale Force are on her case and if they can't track her down, then how could I?"

He wanted to. He wanted nothing more than to find her and make sure she really was okay. He just didn't know how.

The blonde in question appeared in the doorway, pink fingernails tapping against the wood. "Was that supposed to be an impression of me?"

He grumbled and she giggled. "No luck, then, I take it?"

"Glin," he said, sighing again and rising to his feet to look at her. "I can't track her down this way. I have no idea where she is and I haven't been a Gale Force soldier for that long. Unless we're going to come across her in the field, I'm not going to find her."

Galinda had frozen, suddenly serious. "In the field? You're going out there to search for her?"

"It's my job, Galinda," he pointed out wearily. "I do whatever they ask me to do. And maybe I can find her this way..."

"You're going out there," she said again, quietly. "And what if you do find her, Gazilon? What if you and your colleagues find her and they try to capture or kill her... or order _you_ to?"

These thoughts had crossed his mind as well, but he had yet to find a solution for them. He wasn't sure what he would do if such a thing happened. "I could never hurt her."

"You still love her. I know. I know you'd never hurt _her_... but you're bound to come across some Animals sooner or later," the blonde continued, trying to catch his gaze, but he was avoiding her eyes. "And what then? Would you hurt _them_? Would you kill or capture them, knowing that your ex-girlfriend – your _friend_ – is out there fighting for their rights? Would you?"

He pulled at his hair in frustration. "I don't know, Galinda! I don't... I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Of course you do!" she snapped. "We all do! We can pretend that what we're doing is okay because we tell ourselves we don't have a choice; but we all have a choice. We can sit tight and wait for news; we can try to help her; or we can get so desperate to find her that we discard our own morals in the process and do all the wrong things, even if they are for the right reasons. I know you want to find her, but do you really want to risk it? She'd never forgive you if you hurt Animals in an attempt to find her. There are other ways to help her. Less dangerous ways – both for you and for her."

Gazilon leaned his head back for a moment. "Listen, Galinda. I know this seems wrong, but this has been my job for over a year now and I want to try and use it to help her, not hurt her. It's not just about finding her – it's also about protecting her. I don't know if the Gale Force will ever find her, since we all know how adept she is at disappearing; but if they can, it won't make a difference for them if I'm there or not. It _will_ make a difference for her, however, if I can somehow help her escape or at least prevent them from hurting her."

Galinda was quiet for a while. Then she said, "I'm sorry. I know you're trying to help, too, Gaz." Her voice was softer now. "But you have to think about the possible consequences your job may have for you. You're going to have to make choices and no matter what you choose, the outcome will be bad. Either you'll endanger yourself by refusing to help them or you'll have to live with the knowledge that you hurt innocent people or Animals."

He sank back into his chair. "I know."

"All I'm saying is that you should consider quitting your job while you still can," she said. "Before it's too late."

He looked at her for a long time. "Do you really want me to," he asked, "if it might be my only chance of finding her?"

She hesitated, her desire to know if her friend was safe battling with her thoughts on what was right. "Yes," she said finally. "I don't want to put you in that position, Gaz. Of course I want to know if she's okay, but not at every cost."

Part of him knew she was right. The other part was just worried about the girl he still apparently loved more than he had thought and _did_ want to know how she was at every cost. He didn't know what he should do; his own almost desperate desire to find her actually scared him a little. He bit his lip.

She squeezed his shoulder. "Think about it."

* * *

 **Yes, trouble on the horizon. Not yet, though.**


	18. Flying High

**So obviously I didn't manage to post last night, but I have no regrets, because Willemijn's concert was EPIC.**

 **I might start posting a little less often soon, because I'm running out of pre-written chapters, I don't have _that_ much time to write fanfics at the moment, and I don't want to go on hiatus... so the next chapter might not be until Wednesday. Just so you guys know.**

* * *

 **18\. Flying High**

They reached a safe place – a small cottage on the top of a mountain – well before sunrise.

Getting to a new safe place with Elphaba unable to walk had turned out to be harder than they had realised. At first, Fiyero had carried her, but then there was the problem of their bags. The other people travelling with them were very helpful, but it was still hard to manage. Eventually, the Zebra offered for Elphaba to ride on her back, which the green girl rather reluctantly accepted. Fiyero and Cohvu carried their bags and they moved on like that. Leyo, who was the only one who knew the way to the new hide-out, had occasionally checked the map he was carrying and pointed them in the right direction; but it was a dangerous journey and especially the Doko children soon grew tired.

"Why do we have to walk in the dark?" Bob complained as his mother set him down on the ground for a moment. "I can't see anything."

"It's safer this way," Moula told him. "No-one can see us when we travel by night."

"But I'm cold. And my feet hurt."

Bob and Noah eventually ended up riding the Zebra's back along with Elphaba, with the young witch cradling them to her stomach and humming them a lullaby until they fell asleep in her arms. She herself soon drifted off as well and when the cabin came in sight, Fiyero gently stroked her hair.

"Wake up, Fae," he said softly. "We're here."

She yawned and opened her eyes. Fiyero carefully lifted the two Kittens off the Zebra's back, handing them back to their mother, before helping Elphaba off as well and carrying her in the direction of the cottage.

It was bigger than any of the houses in the hide-out; Leyo explained that houses like this one were built to hold several people at once, since the resistance often used them to move members about. They would continue that night to the next hide-out by crossing Kumbricia's Pass and moving into a different part of the mountains.

Once inside, Cohvu went to chop some wood, Moula and the Zebra set to preparing food, the kids fell asleep by the as of yet cold fireplace, and Leyo settled in a chair to study the map in order to plan out the next part of their route for tomorrow. With nothing else to do, Elphaba joined Bob and Noah on the rug in front of the fireplace and absently stroked their fur as she tried to make sense once again of the Grimmerie, the book Morrible and the Wizard had given her. She could not read every spell, but she still studied each and every one of them, hoping they might make sense to her if only she looked at them long enough.

For breakfast, Fiyero had to carry her to the table again and she sighed once she was sitting. "I wish I could just move around by myself. This is so _annoying_."

"Well, thank you," Fiyero said, pretending to be offended, and she made a face at him.

Leyo chuckled as he accepted a full plate from Moula. "You two bicker like an old married couple."

"Sometimes I _feel_ like part of an old married couple," Elphaba offered and Fiyero scowled at her.

"I'm just going to blame hormones for the fact that you're constantly being mean to me," he said. Now it was her turn to scowl at him and he poked out his tongue.

The Zebra looked at them both and then at Cohvu. "You've known them for a while, haven't you? Are they always like this?" she asked curiously.

"Always," Cohvu said without a moment's hesitation, wincing when Fiyero punched his arm and Elphaba kicked him under the table at the same time.

After the meal, Fiyero sat beside the green girl on the rug and peered over her shoulder. "The Grimmerie again? Can I help?"

She hesitated, then shook her head. "Not really, I think," she said, turning a page. "You can't read this… you could try another spell book, but like you said before, you don't even really know what you're looking for. You might as well just relax for a bit. Oz knows we could all use a little peace and quiet."

He put his arm around her and kissed her temple, staying by her side without saying anything as she continued to read. It used to unnerve her when he was watching her like that – he'd often done it back at Shiz when she was reading or studying, too – but by now, she was used to it and she actually liked having him around and just being with him without having to talk or do anything together.

Suddenly, she sat up straighter. "Oh, this would be great! A levitation spell!" She looked up at him. "I could enchant something to fly for me instead of you having to carry me around all the time!"

"But I like carrying you," he protested.

She merely shot him a look and then glanced around the room for something she could enchant. She waved a hand. "Would you bring me that broomstick over there, Yero?"

Cohvu, who was closer to it, fetched it for her and she let her hands hover above it, chanting the spell. They all watched it closely, Elphaba holding her breath and her eyes shining with excitement; and then the broom slowly lifted off the floor, hovering a short distance above the rug. Elphaba pushed herself to her feet, still holding one hand over the broom, and it rose further until it touched her hand and she could close her fingers around it. She swung one leg over it, carefully testing if it would hold her weight, before lifting the foot on which she was balancing off the floor.

"Be careful," Fiyero warned her, but she was grinning widely as she tried to steer the broom to the other end of the room. It complied and she laughed.

"Look at this!" She turned around to look at the prince. "I'm flying!"

He couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm, although his smile faded when she asked him to open the door. "No way. You're not flying out there!"

"I'll be careful," she promised. "I just want to test it out a little. And it's still dark – no-one can see me."

Before he could utter more protests, Bob, who had been watching in excitement as well, had already leapt to his feet and opened the door. Elphaba flew out of it and then up. They all moved outside to watch her – Bob and Noah both cheering, with Cohvu joining in like he was a kid himself, and the others all staring open-mouthed as the young witch rose higher and higher into the air.

"I knew she could do magic," said Leyo in awe, "but I have never seen anything like this before!"

"She's one of a kind," Fiyero agreed, anxiously watching her as she sped up and whooped. "I just hope she won't fall off." He knew she probably wouldn't, but he still couldn't help but worry about her – as always.

"Look at me!" she called down and he could see the childlike enthusiasm on her face even from this distance. "I'm defying gravity!"

He hadn't seen her so happy in a long time and despite his worry, it lifted a weight off his chest to see her like this. She'd never been one to display her emotions very openly and he suspected that this, too, might have something to do with hormones; but whatever it was, he was grateful for it. Just like they could all use some peace and quiet, they could also all use some happiness, in any shape or form.

She landed not long thereafter, dark eyes sparkling and her cheeks flushed with excitement. "Did you see that?" she asked Fiyero, still grinning widely. "I can fly, Yero!" She looked at Leyo. "We won't even have to walk to the hide-out now – I can just fly you all there one by one! No-one will see us in the dark and it'll be so much faster… imagine what we could do with this, all the ways I could help now that I can move around so quickly, and no-one would ever expect someone to come dropping from the sky. Imagine all the possibilities!"

"Could you take me flying once?" Cohvu asked, almost bouncing, and Bob and Noah chorused, "Us, too! Please, Miss Elphaba?"

"Of course! I'll take you all!" she promised and the children cheered again.

"Not to be a killjoy," said Fiyero carefully, "but are we sure flying won't harm the baby?"

"I don't see any reason why it should," Leyo assured him immediately.

Elphaba was glaring at the prince. "If you're going to be insufferable now because I'm pregnant, prepare for me to hex you, Tiggular. You worry and hover enough as it is. And you should realise that I can get away with slapping or hexing you now because I can just blame the hormones."

He held up both hands. "Point taken. Just… be careful, okay?"

"I was thinking of purposefully crashing into a tree and falling down a metre or twelve," she said sarcastically, "but gee, if you insist, I'll just try to stay alive instead. How does that sound?"

Fiyero threw his arms up into the air. "There's no talking with her when she's like this," he said to Leyo, who merely chuckled.

The prince tried to carry her back into the cottage, but she wagged her finger at him and re-mounted her broom instead, soaring back inside. He rolled his eyes before following her.

* * *

They spent the day sleeping and set out again the next evening at nightfall. Elphaba practised a few times with her broom, discovering that she could only carry one other person at a time – not counting the Kittens, who were so small and light she could manage both of them at once. Still, it would be much faster than walking and so she took Leyo on the back of the broomstick first and followed his directions to the other hide-out. She dropped him off there and then returned for the Zebra, which was a lot harder, but she still managed. She then fetched Bob and Noah, Moula, and Fiyero, respectively, and finally returned for Cohvu. The blond man clutched her waist so hard he nearly suffocated her.

"For Oz's sake, Cohvu, I'd almost think you were scared," she said, shaking her head. When he remained quiet behind her, however, she raised her eyebrows. "Are you?"

"I know I was really excited about this before," came his muffled voice from where he was burying it in her back so that he wouldn't have to look down, "but I think I kind of underestimated how scary this is."

She laughed. "Are you serious?"

"I have a fear of heights, okay?" he said, sounding prickly. "Everyone is afraid of _something_. Except for you, probably."

"Make-overs, my father, losing control, the colour pink, Fiyero leaving me, Madame Morrible, the Gale Force, losing my baby…"

"Okay, okay!" he interrupted her. "Even you, then, I guess."

She smirked, but then grew serious again. "I won't let you fall, you know."

"I know, but you might not have a say in the matter."

She chuckled. "We're almost there. Just hold on – a little less tightly, please, you're crushing the baby."

"Sorry, baby," he said against the fabric of her dress, but he didn't loosen his grip.

They flew in silence for a while before he said quietly, "El?"

"Yeah?"

"I just want you to know that..." He paused, searching for the right words. "I really didn't know what they planned on doing to you. Back at the other rebellion, I mean. Maybe I should have known, but I didn't. And I know you think I've changed, becoming part of such a group..."

"We've all changed," she said simply. "I don't hold anything against you, Cohvu. You helped me get out of there. That tells me you're still you, deep down inside. Just because I haven't killed or purposefully done other bad things so far, doesn't mean I'm not capable of doing them. The circumstances are just such that we need to do everything we can. For you, that was joining the rebellion."

He nodded against her back. "You're right, but I'm still sorry."

"Don't be," she said.

The people who greeted them once they landed all seemed worn and worried. One of the Animals told the newcomers that there had been word of a Gale Force patrol not far from here and that they were concerned that someone might have tipped them off about the location of the hide-out, meaning it wouldn't be safe to stay here.

"We don't know for sure, however," he said, "and we have a lot of people here. Many of them are too young, old, sick, or weak to travel all the way to another place."

"I can help," Elphaba offered. "I can use my broom and scout the area every now and then to look for Gale Force."

"You would do that?"

"Of course. I want to help." She sighed. "And besides, it's in my own best interest, too. I don't want the Gale Force to find me any more than you want them to find you."

Moula and the children were whisked away by a Puma couple willing to take them in, while the Zebra and Leyo were also appointed temporary residents. Elphaba, Fiyero, and Cohvu would be staying with a family of Rabbits.

"I won't be staying long," Cohvu told Elphaba and Fiyero as they were settling down in what would be their room for the next while. "I'm going to set out again in a few days."

"What?" The dark-haired witch stared at him. "But… where are you going?"

"To the Emerald City," he answered. "There's a group of people from the resistance infiltrating the Gale Force – they just told me. I can't join the other rebellion again after smuggling you away from them, El, but I still want to be actively involved in something. Maybe I can even strike some sort of bargain with Gazilon to get him to join us – he's already Gale Force, we could use him."

Elphaba didn't say anything for a while. She understood his desire to be more active, but she hated the thought of seeing him leave so soon after finding him in the first place.

"I want to hear everything about what you've been doing for the past year first," she finally said. "And I want you to try your hardest to keep in touch once you're gone, okay?"

"Of course," he agreed and she surprised him by hugging him suddenly.

"Be careful."

"Of course," he said again, putting his arms around her and giving Fiyero a questioning look over Elphaba's dark head. The prince shrugged and mouthed, "Hormones", and Cohvu grinned at him.

* * *

"Men," the Captain of the Guard said, pacing up and down before the Gale Force soldiers lined up against the wall. "We've had a tip about a hide-out for fugitives somewhere in the Kells. We're going out there and if that hide-out is really there, we're going to burn it down." He started naming the soldiers who would come with him on the mission and Gazilon's heart pounded in his throat. Would he have to come? And if so, could he do something to stop this thing or would he end up in a situation where he would have to hurt innocent people? Animals? Elphaba? Just like Galinda had warned him for... maybe he should have listened to her and quit his job.

It was too late for him to make that choice now, though.

"Damaran," the Captain barked and Gazilon closed his eyes for a moment before stepping forward. This was it, then.

The Captain nodded at them all. "We'll be leaving at dawn tomorrow. Be ready."

* * *

 **Any thoughts?**


	19. Up In Flames

**I put a poll about the Fiyeraba baby in this story up on my Twitter account, so if you're following me and want to vote... twitter dot com slash CliffyQueen/status/661915561258049536 (replace "dot" with "." and "slash" with "/", obviously). Also, if you guys have any suggestions for names for both genders, I will put those up in a poll on my profile later! (Only the gender that wins in the Twitter poll, though.)**

* * *

 **19\. Up in Flames**

Cohvu and Fiyero came into the room the morning after their arrival to find Elphaba caught up in a spell book again – the Grimmerie, Fiyero noticed. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor with Brownie, the only child of the Rabbit family they were staying with, dozing beside her as she scratched his ears absently. He wondered if she had slept at all. He knew she had been scouting for Gale Force for a few hours after they'd arrived here.

"You've grown rather addicted to that book, haven't you?" the prince joked as he and Cohvu sat down beside her. She hardly seemed to notice them, however, muttering things under her breath as she followed the words on the page with her finger. It wasn't until Cohvu poked her in the side that she responded at all – by whacking his hand aside and giving him a death glare before returning to her book.

Fiyero and Cohvu exchanged a look. "Fae?" Fiyero asked.

She sighed. "You're not going to let me concentrate, are you?"

He gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry. I was just..."

"...worried about me?" she finished knowingly, smirking when he flushed a little. "I'm fine, Yero. Just looking for spells." She tapped the pile of books beside her. "Those are generally much more basic, but the spells in this book Morrible gave me... they're incredibly powerful. That levitation spell I cast on my broom was only the beginning. I can't even imagine all the things I could do if I understood these spells completely." She smiled widely. "I think I might have found something, though. Watch." She concentrated again, reading the words on the paper, before closing her eyes and chanting them softly, touching her ankle with the tips of her fingers as she did so. Both men watched curiously, but nothing seemed to happen.

Elphaba's face, however, was alight with excitement as she prodded her ankle carefully and then pushed herself to her feet. She took a careful step, putting weight on her right foot.

Fiyero instantly shot up. "Elphaba! You're not supposed to..." He trailed off when she started walking. _Really_ walking, without a limp or any visible sign that her ankle was injured. "How did you...?"

"It's a healing spell," she said proudly, now hopping up and down on her right foot. It didn't hurt her anymore whatsoever. She sat back down, pulled up the hem of her dress, and started unwrapping the bandage from around her ankle. When she pulled it off, they could all see that the skin was no longer bruised and swollen; Elphaba's ankle looked just fine.

She looked up at the two men. "It worked."

"Wow," Cohvu breathed and Fiyero said hopefully, "The Wizard..."

Elphaba, however, shook her head. "I don't think it's strong enough to heal him," she said, "but I'll have to experiment to see which injuries could be healed by this spell. Maybe some of the sick and wounded here in the hide-out would be willing to give it a try." She looked at Fiyero. "At least it's _something,_ though."

"It is," he agreed, grinning widely. "You're amazing."

"Well done, El," Cohvu said. "I'm sure you can figure this out."

She smiled, but then became serious again. "Why did you two come to find me?"

Their smiles fell and Fiyero said, "Cohvu's leaving."

"Already?" She bit her lip. "Well... okay, then." She took a deep breath. "Remember what I said about keeping in touch?"

"I'll do my best," he promised her and she nodded.

"Okay."

She and Fiyero went outside with him to see him off. He left with a small group of other people, humans and Animals alike; and once he was gone, Elphaba went back inside and buried herself in her spell books once more.

As the day progressed, it became clear that Cohvu's departure had rendered Elphaba moody and glum once again. She had gone back to being quiet, spending hours going through her spell books, but without wanting any help; she snapped at Fiyero every time he so much as came near her. When she wasn't reading, she was flying around on the broom, which he liked even less, because it was daytime and she could be spotted; but she insisted she had to help look for potential Gale Force heading for the village.

Even though he knew this behaviour, too, was most likely caused by hormones, he didn't like it. He knew that if she stayed by herself for too long, she'd withdraw into herself again and it always took him a long time to coax her back out of that dark place in her mind.

That was why he decided to risk her wrath that night and pulled her into his arms when she was just about to go to sleep. She squirmed. "Fiyero –"

"Don't," he cut her off. "I want you to talk to me, Fae."

She sighed, giving up the fight. "That seems to be your regular line ever since we got back together, do you know that?"

"I know," he said, running his fingers through her hair in an attempt to calm her down. "But you know why I ask."

She leaned into him, closing her eyes for a moment. "It's just a little bit of everything. Cohvu's gone, I feel like I'm hardly making any progress with the spells, and I can't find anything when scouting on my broom. Sure, it's nice that I found a healing spell now, but it doesn't seem strong enough by far and whatever I find in those other books is just not the kind of magic I'm looking for. And what if there _is_ Gale Force out there, but I just didn't see them? It'd be my fault if something happened! It's frustrating and I just feel... trapped."

"I get it. I do." He moved the hand in her hair to her cheek to cup her face. "And it wouldn't be your fault if something were to happen, Fae. You know that, right? You're trying the best you can to help – we all are – but that's no guarantee."

She sighed. "I know."

"I just don't want you to stew all by yourself without letting it all out. I know you. You like to suffer alone, but you don't have to and I don't want you to."

She smiled faintly. "I know that, too. Annoying as that is sometimes, I also love you for it." She kissed him and then snuggled up against him as he pulled the blanket over the both of them and put his arms back around her, nuzzling her hair.

"I love you, too, sweetheart." He placed his hand on her stomach for a moment before moving it up again to stroke her cheek. "And I'm here for you anytime, okay?"

"Okay," she murmured.

Fiyero held her close, both of them huddling under the blanket. She closed her eyes and he ran his hand over her hair again, knowing, after all their time together, that it would help her relax. "Fresh dreams," he whispered. He wasn't sure if she'd heard him, though, because she had already drifted off in his arms.

* * *

Elphaba was woken up by screams and the moment she became aware of her surroundings, she started coughing. There was smoke everywhere and she turned to Fiyero. For a terrible heartbeat, she thought he was dead; but when she shook him, he stirred, blue eyes slowly blinking open.

"Yero!" she shouted. "Get up! We have to get out of here!"

He blinked a few times, then his eyes widened and he sat up. Elphaba was already on her feet. She couldn't see where the smoke was coming from, but the window seemed their safest bet and so she opened it. She and Fiyero always kept bags packed with their most important possessions, in case they had to run someday; and she quickly took those bags now, throwing them out of the window, closely followed by her enchanted broom. She ushered Fiyero out of the window and then climbed out herself, taking a moment to catch her breath and take in her surroundings.

The hide-out was burning. There was hardly a home untouched by flames for as far as she could see. The people were running around, some of them screaming, others trying to quell the fires with buckets of water, but to no avail.

"Sweet Oz," Fiyero breathed beside her and she turned to him, her eyes large and filled with fear.

"Do you think it's the Gale Force?"

He took her hand and started pulling her with him, away from the burning cottage of the Rabbit family they had been staying with. "It almost has to be. We have to get out of here."

"No!" she said fiercely, stopping him. "We can't just leave them! We have to help!"

"Fae –"

But she was already off, picking her way past burning cottages and panicked people. Gale Force soldiers were marching around here and there, capturing both humans and Animals, shouting at one another. She skidded to a halt and she felt Fiyero close behind her.

"Elphaba." He turned her around, looking at her solemnly. "I'll help them, I promise, but I need you to get out of here." He cut off her protests. "It's you they want most of all. Please. If you can't do it for me, then do it for the baby."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Yero, but I can't," she said, her eyes pleading with him to understand. He apparently did, because after another long look, he nodded.

Just then, there was a shout – "It's the witch! The wicked witch that attacked our Wizard!" – and the soldiers seemed to turn in their direction as one. Fiyero yelled, "Run!", and she did, his hand in hers. They both ran even when bullets were whizzing around their ears. At some point, Fiyero's hand slipped out of hers and she lost sight of him, but she had to keep running. They were right behind her.

Some distance away, she could see Moula, carrying Noah by the scruff of her neck and with Bob clinging to her back, fleeing the burning hide-out. She didn't see Fiyero anywhere, however.

"Moula!" she shouted, waving at the mother Cat. "This way!" She ushered Moula and her Kittens in the direction of the forest, where she hadn't seen any Gale Force soldiers, and then turned around. A man was shouting something about his friend being trapped inside one of the burning houses. He was panicking and Elphaba wanted nothing more than to help, but the house was already collapsing and she knew that even if the man inside was still alive, she would never be able to get him out. It broke her heart even as she ran past to try and help others.

She used the healing spell from the Grimmerie a few times to help people who had been hurt by the fire, the soldiers' bullets, or the rubble; and she helped them get out of the burning hide-out and into the relative safety of the mountains, shouting at them to stick together. Some other humans and Animals were helping, too, but it was obvious that many people had already been lost. Nearly all the houses were burning by now, many of them having collapsed, and Elphaba stumbled over more than one body as she tried to help as many people as possible.

The Gale Force was still tromping about as well, yelling orders at one another. When one of them spotted Elphaba, again, she dashed off, clutching her bag and her broom as she moved around houses and to the outskirts of the hide-out. There was nothing she could do anymore; she should get out of here and try to find Fiyero. She turned a corner... and then she ran straight into someone.

He stared at her, his eyes filling with joy for just a moment before he saw her gaze fall on his Gale Force uniform. Her face hardened and he hung his head. "El..."

"You..." She couldn't even speak. She'd never thought Gazilon, of all people, would do this. She took him in, his uniform and his pleading blue eyes above that, but they could not sway her. There was an Animal in his arms – Brownie, the young Rabbit – and a guilty look on his face.

"I only did it to find you," he said hurriedly. "I never wanted to hurt anyone, Elphaba, really, I swear... I hoped I could help you, or maybe the Animals, but my colleagues were all watching me and I couldn't defy them so openly. I swear I was only trying to help, though – I was hoping I could avoid hurting anyone –"

"Did you?"

He fell silent. "Did I what?"

She raised her head, meeting his gaze. "Did you hurt them? The Animals?"

"I never meant to –"

"I didn't ask if you meant to," she cut him off. "I asked if you did."

He couldn't look at her anymore, hanging his head again, and she knew the answer even before he muttered, "Yes."

She didn't say anything. A bang came from just around the corner and Gazilon cast a look over his shoulder before pushing Brownie into Elphaba's arms.

"Go," he whispered urgently. "Before they find you. You have to get out of here."

She gave him a long look, the flames around them both reflecting in her dark brown eyes, but he could see the fury underneath. She kept it under control, though, merely setting her jaw and tightening her grip around the small Bunny.

"I'm sorry," he said.

She shook her head. "Gazilon..." She closed her eyes for a moment before looking back up at him. "I don't know if I can ever forgive you for this."

He looked sad, but not surprised. "I know." He looked over his shoulder again and then back at her. "Go. Quickly."

She did, turning and running off with her bag slung over her shoulder, cradling Brownie to her with one arm and holding her broom in the other. She slowed, suddenly thinking of something. "Brownie, your parents..."

"They're dead," he said quietly, burrowing deeper into her hold as if to hide himself from the burning world. "I saw them... they're both gone."

"I'm so sorry," said Elphaba quietly, looking down at him. "I'll take care of you. I promise."

There was a scream behind her and she spun around, alarmed. She saw a blond man running into a burning house, a hysterical woman crying nearby, and her eyes widened. "Fiyero!"

She ran over to the spot and the woman clung to her, sobbing. "My daughter... my daughter is inside!"

"Shh," the green girl tried to calm her down, patting her back. "Fiyero just went inside, he'll find her." She hoped so, anyway. Oz, what had gotten into him, diving head-first into danger that way?! She knew, of course, that he wanted to help just as badly as she did and that he would never be able to stand by when he thought he would still be able to do something. This hut looked so badly damaged, however, that she couldn't help but worry. Would he even make it out? She bit her lip, attempting to console the woman, but never taking her eyes off the burning house.

And then it suddenly collapsed.

* * *

 **MUAHAHAHAHAHA!**


	20. When the World Goes Dark

**AN: The main message of your reviews seems to be I'm evil. Why yes, I'm not called the Queen of Cliffies for nothing! *cackles, then bursts out coughing* Ugh, sorry. Still haven't managed to get rid of that cold.**

* * *

 **20\. When the World Goes Dark**

Elphaba and the woman both screamed – a desperate sound filled with pain. There were flames everywhere and the top floor had just caved in, covering the entire ground floor. It was a gigantic sea of flames and Elphaba knew, even without approaching, that no-one would be alive in there anymore. She was shaking all over. She wanted to run towards the fire, towards where she knew Fiyero must just have died, but she was stopped by the sight of the Gale Force marching towards them. There was a loud _bang_ and the woman beside Elphaba sank to the ground, eyes dead and staring, blood pouring from a wound in her chest.

In her arms, Brownie whimpered; and that was the sound that pulled her back to the present, the only thing that kept her from letting her grief overwhelm her and collapsing right beside the woman. This wasn't just about her. If nothing else, she had to get the Bunny to safety. And so she forced herself to bolt once more, before they shot her, too. She unceremoniously stuffed Brownie into her bag, but he didn't protest; he just held on as she adjusted the strap on her shoulder and then swung herself onto her broomstick and kicked off, soaring high up into the air, out of reach of the Gale Force.

She didn't cry. She couldn't let herself feel anything at all – not now. Instead, she focused on steering the broom, trying to get away from the hide-out. She didn't know where to go. She could re-join the people who had escaped, but she didn't really want to. She needed someone whom she knew would take care of Brownie, someone she could trust, only there weren't many of those people – especially not now…

She only realised she was heading for Galinda's home when she saw the beautiful white mansion in the distance. She'd been here once, a few weeks during the summer, when Galinda had invited her. She just hoped the blonde was home now. She tried to count the windows, determining which one was Galinda's; and once she located it, she flew towards it and knocked on it.

It took a long time for someone to appear and she knocked again, praying to every deity she knew that Galinda was here and that she would help her, because she didn't know where else to go. Luckily, just at that moment, the curtains were pulled back and Galinda's face appeared. She looked shocked for a moment, but then opened up.

"Elphie?"

"I need your help," said Elphaba, willing herself to keep her voice steady. She was surprised at how calm she was, really, but then she had always known how to switch off her emotions and only go with her mind.

Galinda motioned for her to come in and the young witch did, landing softly inside her friend's room and placing the broom in a corner. She freed Brownie from her bag, stroking his head for a moment before turning back to Galinda.

The petite girl shook her head. "Elphie… what's wrong?" she asked softly.

The corner of Elphaba's mouth twitched. "Do you want the short version?" Her voice was flat. "I'm on the run from Madame Morrible and the Gale Force, but you probably already knew that. The hide-out we were in was attacked and burned down. It was the Gale Force and Gazilon helped them. A lot of people were killed. Fiyero is dead. So are Brownie's parents, so now he's all alone and he needs someone to take care of him. I don't want to endanger you, but I have nowhere else to go and I needed someone I could trust to maybe care for Brownie and to… I don't know. I guess I just hoped you could help."

Galinda's eyes were wide in utter shock. "What? Elphaba..."

"There's no time!" the green girl snapped. "There's no time to explain everything, Galinda! Just... just promise me you'll take care of him." She nodded at Brownie. "He lost his parents and he's too young to be on his own."

"And what will you do?" Galinda whispered, staring at Elphaba. "Elphie... if what you just told me is true, then I can't let you leave."

Elphaba gritted her teeth. "I can take care of myself."

"But you won't, will you?" the blonde asked knowingly, keeping her eyes locked with her friend's. "Not without Fiyero."

"Yes, I will," Elphaba hissed. "I want to put a stop to this, Galinda. I have to stop Morrible from hurting any more people – humans or Animals. Fiyero being gone doesn't change that."

Galinda just kept looking at her friend and suddenly, Elphaba was sobbing, tears pouring out of her eyes like there was no tomorrow, and she angrily wiped them away. "Damned hormones!"

"What?" Galinda asked, even as she was hugging the green girl tightly and rubbing her back in an attempt to comfort her. "I never thought that time of the month affected you at all."

"It didn't. It doesn't. Oh, Oz, Galinda, I'm..." Elphaba sniffled. "I'm pregnant. I'm pregnant with Fiyero's baby, and now..." More tears spilled over. "Now he's..."

"Oh, Elphaba..." Galinda hugged her even tighter for a moment and then pulled away, concern filling her dark blue eyes. "I'm so sorry. What can I do for you? I'll do anything, I promise."

Elphaba heaved a shaky sigh. "I don't know. I... I don't know what to do, or where to go..." She closed her eyes for a moment. "I want to go back tomorrow," she said quietly, opening her eyes again to look at Galinda. "I want to see it, the place where it happened, see if there is maybe something left of him..." She didn't think there would be a body – the fire had been too all-consuming for that – but maybe his bag had stayed behind. She just wanted something of him to remember him by. "And maybe I can locate the Animals we were with. Brownie would probably be much better off with them than with me, especially since he's known them his whole life."

Galinda nodded reluctantly. "That might not be such a bad idea. For now, though, you should stay here, Elphie. Come." She gently guided the dark-haired witch over to her bed, urging her to get in and tucking her in like she was a small child.

"Glin –"

"Shh," the blonde said sternly. "I'll sleep on the floor – I don't mind. And Momsie and Popsicle never come into my room, so you don't have to worry about them. Just rest a little. No matter what you decide to do, Elphie, I'll help you. Okay?"

"Okay," Elphaba whispered and Galinda stroked her friend's hair in an attempt to lull her to sleep. Brownie came crawling up to the green girl, too, wiggling under the blankets with her and burrowing into her side.

Galinda never went back to sleep. She stayed up all night, watching over her best friend and trying to think of a way to help her. She only left to have breakfast with her parents and Boq, who was staying with them, in the morning, to avoid suspicion; and when she came back to her room, Elphaba and Brownie were both gone.

* * *

"What were you thinking?!" Boq burst out the moment the door opened, revealing Gazilon.

The older man sighed. "Come in."

Boq did, striding into the hallway and then turning around with crossed arms, looking at Gazilon. He noticed the dark circles under his eyes and the weary look on his face and he softened a little. "You've been beating yourself up over this all night long, haven't you?"

"Of course." Gazilon moved into the sitting room, sinking down into a chair as if no longer able to hold himself up. He looked years older. "How could I not?"

"Then I suppose you don't need me to yell at you anymore." Boq sighed and joined his friend, sitting down across from him. "For Oz's sake, Gazilon..."

"How do you even know about it, anyway?" Gazilon asked miserably.

The Munchkin raised his eyebrows. "Galinda, of course. I've been staying with her and her parents, remember? Apparently, while I was asleep in one of their guest rooms, Elphaba came flying into Galinda's room on a broomstick. Glin told me this morning – she didn't want to leave Elphaba alone, but she had to come downstairs for breakfast with her parents and me or it'd look suspicious. Her parents can't know about any of this." He sighed. "Elphaba was gone when Glin went back up. I can only imagine how hard Fiyero's death hit her."

Gazilon paled, so obviously and so suddenly that Boq thought the poor man was going to faint for a moment. "W-what?" he stammered.

"Oh, Oz, you didn't know?!" Boq exclaimed, horrified. "I'm sorry... I mean, you were there, last night, so I guess I just assumed that you... knew. About Fiyero."

"He's... no." Gazilon couldn't even get the words out. He looked so utterly shocked and guilty that Boq felt sorry for him.

"I'm sorry, Gazilon," he said again, reaching out to place a comforting hand on the other man's arm. "I don't even know what exactly happened – Galinda said Elphaba had only told her that he was gone. You didn't see anything?"

Gazilon shook his head mutely. Much to his amazement and discomfort, Boq noticed that his friend was crying.

"Boq..." Gazilon shook his head again. "Oz, I... I wanted to _help_... I should have listened to Galinda." He hung his head. "She was right. I should have quit the Gale Force right away, or at the very least I should have had the guts to _actually_ try and help. I kept telling myself I would help Elphaba and everyone else – fugitives, Animals – with my position, but the truth is that I was just too scared to actually do it. And now..."

"Listen," said Boq, now really feeling sorry for the other man. "It's not your fault... you know. Fiyero. It would probably have happened regardless of whether you were there or not."

"Maybe." Gazilon sighed.

Boq squeezed his shoulder, but didn't say anything else. He didn't feel like there was anything he could say that would make this situation any better.

* * *

She didn't find anything.

There were bodies, all right. Many of them. Animals and humans, even one or two Gale Force soldiers. Some were burnt to the point where they were no longer recognisable, while others almost looked as though they could have been asleep if they hadn't been so pale and still. Elphaba saw them, but she didn't really register anything she was seeing. She was here with only one goal. Well, two.

It took her a while to locate the house Fiyero had run into – the place he had died. It was merely a pile of rubble now and the young witch carefully picked her way through it, searching everywhere for a sign of Fiyero. The only thing she found, however, was a collection of charred bones that made her stomach churn; but they might not even be Fiyero's. They could also have belonged to the girl whose mother had been shot right beside Elphaba.

Brownie didn't want to see any of the damage done by the fire, but he also didn't want to be separated from Elphaba, since she was the only familiar person he had left now. He was therefore travelling once again in Elphaba's bag, nestled between her clothes and books, not once poking his head out as the green girl slowly walked around looking for something to salvage.

There was no-one alive around the hide-out anymore and she didn't find any trace of Fiyero's things, either. She'd been hoping to find his bag lying around somewhere, but she supposed someone must have taken it. It felt like the grief suddenly fell down upon her, crushing her. Now she didn't have anything left of him – nothing but memories... and their baby.

She shut her emotions down, not wanting to let herself feel anything – not wanting to let it sink in that Fiyero was gone. Instead, she opened her bag a little to look down at Brownie.

"There's nothing here," she said. "Nothing and no-one."

"Can't I just stay with you, then?" the Bunny asked. "Please? I don't know where else to go..."

"I'm not just leaving you behind!" Elphaba reassured him, shocked at the mere suggestion. "I promised you I'd take care of you, didn't I? And I will." She stroked his head and then turned around, walking away from the site. There was nothing left for her here.

* * *

 ***hides* Please don't kill me.**

 **Also, did you guys know the Greg Awards were up again? Fae'sFlower is hosting them, so go on and nominate your favourite fics and writers! (I know I'm probably not among those currently, but still!)**


	21. So Long Sanity

**Gosh, sorry it took me so long to update... I'm having a busy week and I'm leaving for a long weekend in London in two days, so that doesn't help. I'll try to give you another update on Friday before I go!**

 **By the way - your reviews were hilarious. Of course Fiyero is not dead. (DialMforM - Right.) I'm just sneaky.**

* * *

 **21\. So Long Sanity**

When Fiyero came to, he found himself lying on the ground, pebbles and sticks poking into his back. He blinked, trying to orientate himself as he slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position.

"Welcome back," someone said, offering him a cup of water. He took it and gulped down every last drop before wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt and looking up at the person helping him. It was a Wolf he had never seen before.

"Thanks," he rasped.

The Wolf bared his teeth in a grin. "You've inhaled a lot of smoke, mate. Niila – my mate – thought you might not make it, but it turned out it was not so bad. You were lucky to have passed out, actually, because it made the Gale Force think you were already dead – otherwise they'd have shot you for sure." He helped the prince up. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Fiyero croaked. "Never better."

The Wolf chuckled throatily. "Sure, mate, whatever you say. Do you think you can walk? I've been carrying you on my back, but you're pretty heavy – no offence. And besides, we're almost there, anyway."

"Almost where?" Fiyero shook his head, feeling a little dizzy. "Where are we? And what exactly happened?" He looked around. There were several other Animals there, but not many.

The Wolf's face turned serious. "Most of us were killed in the fires or by the Gale Force," he said grimly. "We escaped and tried to save as many others as possible, but it was too late for most of them and we couldn't get to them all, anyway. It was too dangerous. Others have escaped, but we don't know where they've gone. We've been heading east, mostly, since there's a resistance safe house nearby where we can try to re-group and make plans."

Fiyero, however, had hardly heard anything after the first sentence. _Most of us were killed._ "Elphaba," he breathed, his head whipping around to take a good look at the group he was travelling with, even though he already knew she wouldn't be there. "Has anyone seen Elphaba?"

"Who?" the Wolf asked and Fiyero shook his head.

"She's green," he said, still looking around. "She's... she's in her early twenties, long black hair, and she has green skin. You can't miss her – she's the only person in all of Oz with green skin! Please tell me you've seen her?"

The Wolf shook his head, looking apologetic. "Sorry, mate," he said. "Can't say that I have. It was crazy back there. But maybe one of the others has – I'll go ask them. No worries."

But Fiyero did worry, of course, and even more so once it became clear that none of the others had seen her, either.

"She could have escaped," the Wolf tried to comfort him as they walked.

Fiyero shook his head. "She wouldn't have left without me." He cursed. "I shouldn't have left without her, either. I have to go back!"

"Whoa, mate, you can't go back there!" The Wolf stopped him. "The Gale Force is probably still around, waiting for someone to be stupid enough to come back. You can't find her from a cell. If she's smart, she wouldn't go back there, either – not yet, anyway. Come on. Just come with us, wait until you're a bit stronger – get some rest, eat something – and then go back in the morning."

Fiyero didn't really want to, but he realised that right now, he was too weak to travel back to the destroyed hide-out by himself – not to mention the fact that he didn't know the way. "Will you come with me?"

The Wolf nodded seriously. "Sure, mate. Niila and I will escort you back there. But not any earlier than tomorrow morning, understood?"

"Fine," the prince muttered. Knowing Elphaba, she wouldn't stop until she had found him and although he was worried, he also knew that she would most likely return to the burnt village to try and find him, too. Not yet, though. The Wolf was right – Elphaba was smart enough to realise there might still be Gale Force milling around. He thought he had a fair chance of catching her at the hide-out in the morning. Or he hoped so, anyway.

Once they reached the safe house and joined a few people who were already inside, however, his hopes were first lifted and then shattered when an old man said he had seen Elphaba.

"Green girl," he said, nodding. "Skin like emeralds. Saw her standing by a burning house with some other lady, but then the Gale Force shot them."

Fiyero swore his heart stopped. "What?"

His face must have betrayed his shock, because the man's face softened. "I'm sorry, son," he said. "Was she important to you? We all lost loved ones tonight."

She wasn't dead. She couldn't be... could she?

"Are... are you sure?" he croaked and the man nodded, keeping his sympathetic gaze on the prince.

"I'm very sorry."

Fiyero hardly remembered anything after that. He was vaguely aware of the fact that he sank to the floor, crying, and of the fact that there were people trying to help him. He must have fallen asleep at some point, because the next thing he remembered was opening his eyes to stare up at the ceiling, a crushing weight suddenly settling on his chest again as he remembered what had happened. It almost felt like he couldn't breathe.

He didn't accept any of the offered food and didn't want to talk to any of the people there – not even the Wolf, who was trying to get through to the prince. The others all deliberated and talked about their next move, most of them leaving the safe house, but Fiyero stayed put. He wouldn't know where to go, anyway, if Elphaba was really gone. He was still a fugitive. He didn't want to put his friends or family in danger by knocking on their doors and there was no-one else he could go to.

Niila, the female Wolf, came to tell him at some point that a resistance member from the Emerald City had been contacted and that this person would rally up some other resistance members and come here to help out the survivors of the Gale Force attack. They would most likely arrive the next morning. The prince heard her, but he didn't respond and he didn't really care, either. He'd just go with whatever plan they concocted and see where he ended up. It wasn't like it mattered much to him.

He ate, mostly so that the others would stop bothering him about the fact that he wasn't eating. He slept, although he had no idea how. Mostly he sat and stared off into space, trying to remember how to be brainless and thoughtless and how to not think or feel anything; but while that had come so easily to him only a few years before, he found that he couldn't do it now. He could still try, though, and that was what he did.

He hardly registered the arrival of a small group of resistance members. They formed groups and led the others away from the safe house, explaining they would be taken to other hide-outs to recover and try to build a new life. The Wolves said good-bye to him and he could tell they were worried, but he waved them off tiredly and wished them a good journey.

It wasn't until he heard a familiar voice that he blinked and looked up.

"Those two told me what happened," Swan said softly, indicating the two Wolves with her head. "I'm sorry. You okay, honey?"

Fiyero shook his head wordlessly and Swan crouched down in front of him so that he didn't have to crane his neck to look at her. "Listen," she said. "I'm going to take you with me, okay, darling? Don't worry," she hastened to add when she saw him frown a little, "purely on a friendly basis. Oz, Prince Fiyero, I know I flirt with everything that breathes, but I have a heart. I would never go after a grieving man who just lost his love a few days ago."

 _Lost his love_. The words echoed in his head, but he refused to really let them get through. He just couldn't grasp the fact that Elphaba was gone. He didn't want to. He just wanted to sit here and pretend she was still alive.

"I'm taking you to someone whom I know will help you," Swan promised him, straightening and holding out a hand for him to take. He looked at it for a moment and then grasped her hand, allowing her to pull him to his feet. She gave him an encouraging smile. "Good, hon. Now let's get out of here."

* * *

Fiyero didn't register where he and Swan were going for the longest time, not really paying attention to his surroundings. He had no idea in which part of Oz they even were when Swan led him to some kind of barn. All he knew was that they had left the mountains; the place they were now looked like countryside to him and given the time they had travelled, he guessed they must still be in the Vinkus – they hadn't walked for _that_ long.

Swan opened the door, ushering him inside, and then followed him and started rummaging around in her bag. She pulled out a blanket, which she wrapped around Fiyero. She then crouched down in front of him again and peered into his eyes.

He blinked. "What are you doing?"

"Just checking if you aren't in shock," she said. "You've hardly said a word since we left. Or before that, for that matter."

He huddled in the blanket, pulling it tighter around him. "I'm not in shock." Or maybe he was. He didn't really know.

"We're waiting for someone," Swan explained, even though Fiyero hadn't asked anything and didn't care, either. "He should be here soon. Do you want something to eat in the meantime?"

He shook his head. Swan watched him closely for a while, but he turned away from her, staring at the wall ahead of him; and before he knew it, he was crying again, tears all but streaming down his cheeks and dripping down onto the floor. He watched them go, tiny droplets that left dark spots on the grey, concrete floor. He made no move to wipe them away.

He knew that Swan probably knew he was crying; but if she did, she didn't let it on and she didn't approach him, which he was grateful for. He just wanted to be left alone for a while.

The door to the barn suddenly opened and Swan leapt to her feet; but she relaxed when she saw who came in. "Hey. I'm glad you could make it."

"What's going on?" a familiar voice asked, although Fiyero couldn't be bothered to think about where he knew the voice from. "You drop by my house, telling me to meet you here, without saying anything about the _why_."

"The _why_ ," said Swan, "is sitting over there on the floor. I had to hurry and I couldn't take you with me right away because you don't want your connection to the resistance to be revealed, so this was the only thing I could think of on such short notice. I need your help."

"Who is that?" the man asked. Fiyero didn't hear Swan's reply, but he did quickly wipe his face on his shirt in an attempt to make himself look less pathetic.

The next thing he knew, the man was standing in front of him and exclaimed in utter shock, "Fiyero?!"

Fiyero glanced up and found himself looking into a familiar face. Gazilon. Of course – Swan knew of their connection; she knew they were friends. She'd probably figured finding Fiyero a friend to talk to was the best thing to do, under the circumstances.

"Oh my Oz, Fiyero!" Gazilon seemed to be near tears, which was weird for several reasons. The prince didn't think he'd ever seen Gazilon cry at all; and although everyone cried _sometimes_ , he didn't understand why his friend would suddenly get all emotional over seeing Fiyero.

But then Gazilon said in astonishment, "You're alive! I can't believe it!" and Fiyero supposed he was missing something.

"Of course I'm alive," he said flatly. He wanted to add something about someone else _not_ being alive, but he couldn't get the words to pass his lips. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because Boq told me that Galinda had told him that Elphaba said you were dead!"

It took a few moments for the implications of Gazilon's remark to get through to Fiyero's foggy, numb brain; but once they did, he could only stare at the other man. "Wait. What?!"

"Boq came to see me the other day," said Gazilon tiredly, sinking to the floor across from Fiyero. "He said that Galinda had told him Elphaba came to see her in the middle of the night. Apparently she was completely lost – she had a Bunny with her and she told Glin that the Gale Force had attacked and burnt down the hide-out you were staying in and that... that you'd been killed. She was distraught. Glin tried to comfort her, made her sleep for a while; but when she had to leave her alone for a bit and came back, Elphaba was gone."

Fiyero shook his head. "No. She's dead," he said, flinching a little even as he said it aloud for the first time. It was less awful, though, now that it may not be true after all. "Someone... someone told me he saw her die. She was shot..."

"I have no idea what happened, Fiyero," Gazilon stated. "Elphaba didn't give Galinda a lot of information or many details and so I don't know those, either. I do know, however, that she's alive."

The prince was sitting up straight now, his heart pounding in his throat. "Are you sure?" he asked intently. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes." Gazilon nodded, placing one hand on Fiyero's shoulder and squeezing it comfortingly. "She spent a night with Galinda, the night after the hide-out was attacked, and according to Galinda she was perfectly all right – physically, anyway. She's not dead, Fiyero. Or at least she wasn't a few days ago."

Fiyero sagged with relief at that, vaguely aware that he was tearing up again, but he didn't care so much this time around. She was alive. Elphaba was still alive. It was like all the colour had suddenly returned to the world and he took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. "Can you... can you take me to Galinda?" he asked hoarsely. "I need to talk to her myself."

Gazilon and Swan exchanged a look and then both nodded. "We can do that, hon," said Swan. "Of course we can."

"Thank you." Fiyero exhaled slowly, hardly able to believe this was really happening, that she really wasn't dead. The old man must have seen it wrong, then, if Galinda had said that Elphaba wasn't even physically hurt. Maybe the Gale Force soldier shooting at her had missed his mark and she'd fled. In any case, Elphaba was alive and he was going to find her, one way or another.

* * *

 **No, I purposefully didn't leave him thinking Elphaba was dead for long. I figured at least one of them would figure out the other is still alive.**


	22. Between Magic and Madness

**Good to see your murderous urges have disappeared.**

* * *

 **22\. Between Magic and Madness**

The Fox stopped dead in her tracks when she came face to face with a green woman dressed in all black, a pointy black hat on top of her head and a broomstick in her hand. "You!"

"Yes, me," Elphaba agreed. She glared at Kiki from underneath the brim of her hat. "I'm here to see Barridon."

"You..." Kiki gaped at her. "Are you insane?!" she cried. "Why would you come back here? The last time you were here, we put a sedative in your drink and tried to force you to stay with us!"

"I know," Elphaba snapped. "And I learned from the experience, believe me. Besides, I'm not injured this time around and I'm better prepared." She had learned some possibly useful spells by heart and there was a knife hidden beneath her cloak. She had also left Brownie behind – she didn't want him to get caught in the crossfire. "Also," she added, "I have nothing left to lose."

The Fox regarded her silently for a few moments before finally saying, "Barridon always says that people with nothing left to lose are the most dangerous people."

"He would know, wouldn't he?" Elphaba impatiently tapped her broom. "So are you going to take me to him or not?"

Kiki nodded and turned around, leading the way into the hide-out. She talked to the Animals guarding it and Elphaba was not stopped as she marched into the village and followed Kiki to a cottage.

"It's in here," said Kiki, but the dark-haired witch shook her head.

"Make him come out. I'm not going in there until I'm sure it's not a trap."

The Fox smiled a little. "You _did_ learn."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow and Kiki disappeared inside. She soon emerged with the old Eagle and the human man who had been there last time. Both of them looked Elphaba up and down with raised eyebrows.

"Well, girl," the man said, "you are either very brave or very stupid."

"I like to think it's the former," she said and the man chuckled.

Barridon smoothed his feathers, glancing up at her. "Why are you here?"

She raised her chin. "Because I know what you are planning on doing," she said. "You're going to assassinate Madame Morrible in a few days' time. I want to help you."

The human man's eyebrow nearly disappeared into his hairline at that, but Barridon did not so much as pull a muscle. "You want to help us," he repeated. "You want to help us murder someone?"

"I want to help you murder Madame Morrible," she corrected. "She's behind the Animal Banns and most of the other bad things that have been happening in Oz. It's her fault I was declared a wicked witch and had to flee. Even despite those things, I don't think I would have been willing to kill her before, but... well, things changed." She gritted her teeth. "I lost everything because of her." It had felt like she'd had only two options: break down completely and never get up again or fight for revenge. The choice hadn't been a hard one. No matter what she did, she could not bring Fiyero back; but she could make sure that the one responsible was going down with him. He might have been killed in a fire set by the Gale Force, but everyone knew who controlled the Gale Force. Madame Morrible was responsible for Fiyero's death as well as for all the other terrible things that were happening.

"I know you're planning on using an explosion," she continued, "but I do not want anyone else getting hurt. We can use magic."

The man snorted. "So now you're bossing us around? I don't think so, girl."

Barridon silenced him with a gesture, never taking his eyes off Elphaba. "Go on."

"There is a spell I can use," she said, "but I would need your help getting into the Emerald City." She had located a spell in the Grimmerie with which she could kill someone from a short distance. She'd spent the past few days practising it on targets she'd made herself, trying to perfect her aim until she was confident that she would be able to hit Morrible, and no-one but Morrible, with it. "I'd need to get relatively close to her – about fifty metres at the least. You can still use your explosion as a back-up plan, since I understand that you don't trust me, but I'm asking you to let me try it this way first. I assume you don't want innocents to get hurt if it's not necessary, either."

Barridon nodded slowly. "You assume correctly."

"Why?" the man asked brusquely. "Why would you want to do this?"

"Like I said," said Elphaba, "she's the reason I lost everything and she's the reason Oz has been plunged into chaos. She has to be stopped. I believe this is the only way. I'd like to do it myself because, like I said, I could prevent others from getting hurt; and because I have a personal score to settle with that old hag."

The Eagle nodded again. "Let's go inside," he suggested. "I want to work out a plan with you."

"Don't bother offering me anything to drink," she said drily. "I learned my lesson."

Barridon chuckled and moved inside of the cottage, followed by his right hand man. Elphaba was next and Kiki closed the line.

Over the course of the next few hours, they worked out a plan to get Elphaba inside of the City, joined by a few resistance members, the man sitting beside Barridon being one of them. They'd prepare everything for the explosion they originally wanted to use to get rid of Morrible, but they would refrain from actually making it happen until Elphaba had had her shot at killing the woman with magic. If she failed, they'd blow up everything. If she succeeded, they'd all slink back into the shadows, Elphaba would fly out of the City on her broom – she might be seen, but that didn't matter much to her anymore – and she and the resistance members would probably never see one another again. No strings attached.

"You have a knack for negotiation, Miss Elphaba," Barridon noted once they had finalised the details and Elphaba rose to leave. "You would do well in politics."

She gave a dry, mirthless chuckle. "The irony. I might have done well, yes, if that meeting with the Wizard had gone the way I wanted it to."

"Well." Barridon looked her over. "Who knows? You might still get your chance." He looked thoughtful. "Are you sure you won't join us? We could use you."

"No," she said. "Not now, anyway. I have things to take care of."

He nodded. "Very well. I won't try to force you this time," he said, seeing the expression on her face. He smiled a little. "You're not the only one who learned from that experience."

She snorted.

"It's a shame, though," he said. "Your magic seems quite powerful and you have the definite qualities of a leader. You shouldn't let that go to waste."

"Well, as you said, I might still get my chance," she said wryly. "Who knows? I might even end up ruling Oz someday."

The man standing next to Barridon frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She flashed him a condescending smile. "Oh, didn't I tell you? The Wizard is my biological father. That's the real reason he wanted to change his policies for me and Morrible attacked him." She curtseyed mockingly. "Say hello to your princess."

The looks on their faces were really rather priceless and she was sure they would renew their attempts to keep her here, having learned this bit of information; and so before they could do so, she'd mounted her broom and shot off into the sky with a cackle.

There. Let them think about that. She wasn't going to hide her parentage anymore – she was going to shout it from the rooftops. It might even work to her advantage somehow and if not... well, she no longer really cared. It was as she had told Kiki – without Fiyero, she had nothing left to lose.

* * *

Swan had been out in the Emerald City when she heard the news and she instantly headed back to Galinda's parents' house, where she had left Fiyero and Gazilon. Galinda had offered them a room to stay in, although her parents were under the impression that it was just Gazilon staying in their guest room; Fiyero had climbed in through the window later. They had all agreed that the less people knew where Fiyero was staying, the better. Galinda didn't think her parents would turn the prince in if she asked them not to, but they might slip up. This way, Fiyero could stay in Gazilon's room and no-one would know as long as he lay low while Swan and Gazilon, with some help from Galinda and Boq, searched for signs of Elphaba's whereabouts.

Swan now clambered up the rain-pipe and hoisted herself into the room, of which the men had left the window open. "Sweet Oz, darlings," she said, shaking her head, "I have some news for you. Madame Morrible is dead."

Fiyero sat up and Gazilon whistled. "Wow."

"Hold on, it gets better." She grinned at them. "They say she was killed by a sudden blast of magic, seemingly appearing from the sky. Everyone has searched for the person responsible, but he – or she – seems to have disappeared into thin air. No-one knows who it was."

"She," Gazilon muttered under his breath, sharing a look with Fiyero. "Definitely she."

The prince nodded, excitement bubbling up inside of him. "It _must_ have been her. Who else would kill Morrible with magic?"

"Would she kill, though?" Gazilon asked hesitantly. "I mean... would she really deliberately assassinate Morrible?"

Fiyero sighed. "I don't know. She might," he said. "If she really believes I'm dead, then this was probably an act of revenge on her part... she probably wouldn't have done it before, but we've all changed." He looked sad more than accusing, but Gazilon still felt guilty at his words.

Fiyero felt guilty, too, although for a different reason. He wished there was a way he could let her know that he was alive, but he had no idea how to reach her. Until now, he hadn't even been really sure that she still was alive.

"I'll try my best to track her down," Swan promised, "but I'm not sure I can. She's apparently quite good at disappearing."

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me," said Gazilon with a sigh. "We'll keep looking, though. All of us."

"Thank you," Fiyero said gratefully, even though he'd much rather be out there looking for her himself. He realised that was too dangerous, however. Anyone could recognise him; he was a fairly famous person in Oz, after all, and his picture had been spread in every newspaper and tabloid available. _CROWN PRINCE FIYERO TIGGULAR OF THE VINKUS HELPS ATTACKER WONDERFUL WIZARD._ He'd be captured in a heartbeat if he set one foot outside. It had been a miracle they had made it from the barn to Galinda's house.

"I'll go now," said Swan. "I still have some resistance work to do and of course there's my regular job to take care of, too." She eyed both men up and down seductively. "Unless you'd like to make use of me yourselves?"

Gazilon reddened considerably, which made Swan smirk. Fiyero just shook his head. "No, thank you. You know where my loyalties lie."

"It was worth a try." She sighed dramatically and then disappeared out of the window.

"I'll go get Galinda and Boq," said Gazilon, turning around and moving towards the door. "They'll want to know about this new development, too."

Boq turned out to be mostly incredulous, simply gaping at the other two men; while Galinda squeaked, squealed, and shrieked until her mother worriedly called from downstairs if everything was all right.

"Just fine, Momsie!" Galinda called back, looking sheepish. "Gazilon just told me the most _scandalous_ story, is all."

Gazilon raised an eyebrow at her and she giggled. "What? I had to make up a believable excuse." She sobered. "This is great, though! Morrible is gone and Elphie did it – meaning she's out there somewhere! She's been in the Emerald City only yesterday!"

"She's probably not there anymore, though," Fiyero pointed out. "And she could have gone anywhere on that flying broomstick of hers."

Galinda wagged a finger at him. "Don't be so pessimistic, you! Elphie has been rubbing off on you, hasn't she?" She plopped down on Gazilon's bed. "Swan is out looking for her, Gazilon will be leaving for the Emerald City again in a few hours and he'll look for her, too…"

"You're going to keep doing your job?" Boq asked in amazement. "After what happened?"

"No," Gazilon muttered. "Of course not. Or, well, I'll still be with the Gale Force, but I've asked to be put in a different function. Mostly paperwork for me from now on. No more field trips, that's for sure."

Galinda smiled. "I think that's a wise decision, Gaz."

"It's already too late, though, isn't it?" he asked bitterly. "I've already done things I hate myself for and Elphaba hates me for them, too. She said so herself – she doesn't know if she can ever forgive me for what I did."

The blonde placed a hand on his arm. "She will," she said.

"Most likely," Fiyero agreed. "Despite her tough exterior, Fae has the biggest heart of anyone I know. She'll forgive you. She just needs to stew on it first. It's how she works."

"I wonder where she is," Galinda mused. She stared out of the window. "And what with the baby… oh, Oz, I hope she's taking care of herself."

"Wait," Gazilon said sharply. "Baby?"

Galinda grimaced. "Oops." She'd already told Boq about Elphaba being pregnant, but she hadn't told Gazilon yet. This wasn't really the way she'd imagined him finding out, but they were all a little on edge right now and she'd blurted it out before realising. "Um… Elphaba is pregnant. With Fiyero's baby," she added a little unnecessarily.

Gazilon's eyes were wide as he stared from Galinda to Fiyero and back. "But…"

"It wasn't planned," said Fiyero. "We didn't even know until the day before… before the attack on the hide-out. She's three months along." He bit his lip and Galinda put an arm around him.

"She'll be fine," she tried to reassure him. "She'd never endanger her unborn child."

"She might endanger herself," Fiyero objected, "especially if she really does believe I'm dead; and if she endangers herself, she'll endanger the baby, too."

"Except for the fact that her thinking you are dead would probably make her extra protective of the baby, because she thinks he or she is all she'll have left of you," Galinda argued.

Fiyero moaned and buried his face in his hands. "This is a mess! What in Oz am I going to do? I have no idea how or where to find her and I'm just as wanted as she is – I can't even go outside. I can't stay here, either, because with every minute I spend here, I'm endangering all of you, as well as your parents, Galinda…"

"You could go back to the first hide-out you stayed at," Boq suggested. "You know some people there, don't you? And so does Elphaba. You might even run into her there."

"I wouldn't know how to get back there," Fiyero said miserably. "I don't think Swan knows, either – she never takes people straight to the hide-outs, only to safe houses nearby."

Galinda heaved a sigh. She leaned into Boq's side, putting her head on his shoulders as she felt him draping his arm across her shoulders. "You're right. This _is_ a mess. It's all getting so complicated… has it really only been a few weeks since we were at Shiz? It feels like a lifetime ago."

* * *

 **No cliffy - aren't I nice? I'm leaving for London tonight and I won't be back until Monday evening, so you're not getting another update until Tuesday - sorry! (Not really sorry, but still.) *waves, then leaps onto a broomstick and cackles* Until then, my pretties!**


	23. Safe Haven

**A quick update before I go to sleep. Despite the fact that I felt sick for about half the trip and of course the terrible things that happened in Paris, I did have a wonderful time in London and I got home safely. Wicked was amazing, as always, and we had a lot of fun, although I'll admit I was a bit scared that something would happen. In that respect, I'm glad to be home; and I'd like to dedicate this chapter to all the people who have been hurt or who have lost their lives or loved ones in the attacks a few days ago. RIP.**

* * *

 **23\. Safe Haven**

One well-aimed beam of magic, brought into existence by a single spell from the Grimmerie, was all it took to bring down the woman who had destroyed her entire life. It felt strangely anticlimactic, somehow.

She hadn't hung around to watch the public's reaction to Morrible's death. The members of the rebellion had smuggled her into the City – the gate they had passed through had been unguarded and Elphaba had not asked any questions about why that was the case, although she could guess – and she'd climbed up onto a roof to oversee the street Morrible would pass through during the Lurline Festival parade. She'd stayed there, laying low and keeping a close eye on everything. She'd waited for the parade to pass and then she'd aimed and fired. It had been surprisingly simple: Morrible had fallen and Elphaba had been out of sight before the first screams came. She'd run, ducking, across rooftops until she was far enough away and then she'd leapt onto her broom and steered up high, using the thick, grey clouds above the City for cover as she made her way back to the small shelter where she had left Brownie.

After that, she hadn't done much for a while. She and Brownie had started travelling around, searching for a place to stay. They had eventually settled for an abandoned shed in a meadow not too far from the Emerald City. It was remote enough, and well enough hidden by the high grass, for them to feel relatively safe there. She tried to lie low for a while, spending her time caring for the Bunny and searching her spell books – mainly the Grimmerie – for a spell that could fix the whole Wizard situation... even though she was no longer sure she really wanted to.

She knew Fiyero wouldn't want her to give up. She also knew that she had a responsibility now – this wasn't just about her anymore; it was about their baby, too. This baby was the last thing she had left of Fiyero and she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she didn't take care of it the best she could. Fiyero would want her to cure the Wizard, make things better in Oz, and somehow find a way to be happy again.

She just wasn't sure if she could.

Ever since she'd seen him running into that burning house, she'd been doing what she'd always done best – pushing her feelings aside and pretending she didn't have any. She knew she wouldn't be able to take the pain of losing him, so she pretended that pain did not exist and she tried to concentrate on doing things, one small task at a time. Cook dinner. Search spell book. Tell Brownie a story. Practise magic. Make bed. She wasn't sure where to go from here, but she knew she couldn't stay here with Brownie forever. He needed other children of his age around him, for one, and she knew it would be better for _her_ to have other people around her, too. If only to help her with her pregnancy once the need would arise.

She had considered going back to Galinda's house, but she'd quickly dismissed that idea. It had been stupid of her to go there in the first place. She'd been confused, hurting, and desperate, and she hadn't known what else to do; but she would not endanger her friend like that again. Besides, Galinda could not help her, anyway. Perhaps she would be best off trying to locate another resistance hide-out and staying there for a while, but how would she locate them? She had no idea where their other hide-outs could be.

She eventually decided to search for other hide-outs from the sky and so every evening at nightfall, she set out on her broomstick, scouting a certain area for lights and cottages that could mean a resistance hide-out was located there. Once, she thought she'd found one, but the people down below had started screaming and panicking the moment she'd come near them, so she didn't figure they would be of much help – if it was a village of the resistance at all.

On her fourth day of scouting, she saw a Horse crossing a small bridge near the Oz Lake and she landed, approaching him carefully. "Excuse me?"

He looked at her, startled, and didn't say anything. She hastened to reassure him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I know you're an Animal. You _are_ an Animal, right?" she asked, wondering if she was rambling to a regular horse right now that wouldn't be able to understand her at all. "I'm on your side, I swear. I have this small Bunny with me – we've come from a resistance hide-out, it was attacked by the Gale Force, and we really need a place to stay. Can you help us?"

The Horse looked at her for a while and then nodded. "Come with me."

She breathed a sigh of relief and followed him into a small forest nearby. He did, indeed, take her to a hide-out. The people there had heard of the Gale Force attack and once she brought back Brownie, they were convinced that she was not a threat and they were both allowed inside. She explained her situation to them – not everything, but the fact that and the reason why she was a fugitive, the magic she was working on to heal the Wizard, the fact that she'd killed Madame Morrible, and the fact that she was actually the Wizard's daughter – and they helped her the best they could, trying to give her advice, keeping her company, and taking Brownie under their wing.

That was how the weeks passed for her, so fast and so slowly at the same time as she tried to focus on anything but the feeling of a gaping black hole in her chest where her heart once was.

* * *

The others, too, kept busy. Gazilon went back to his home in the Emerald City, where he and Swan kept in touch to keep track of the other's progress in finding Elphaba. Meanwhile, Boq and Galinda stayed with Galinda's parents in Gillikin; and Fiyero travelled on his own to the Vinkus. He had realised that he had not been in touch with his parents for weeks by now and that they, too, must have heard about what had happened. He needed to let them know that he was okay and explain everything to them. On top of that, they could help him – at the very least, they would give him a place to stay, but they could maybe also give him advice or help him track down the green girl he was so desperate to see again.

The journey was long and lonely, but not so difficult once he reached the Vinkus itself. He'd grown up in this province; he knew every part of it like the back of his hand and he could probably walk the route to his parents' castle blindfolded. He still had his bag, although he had left Elphaba's spell books with Galinda and filled the empty space with food for the journey. It was boring and it made his entire body ache, but it was uneventful, for which he was grateful. Finally, something was going well.

It took him four days to reach Adurin Iir, since the roads were not the easiest ones to travel and he had to hide all the time or travel in the dark to avoid being spotted; and by the time he did reach the castle, he was exhausted. Instead of knocking on the front door, he sneaked inside through a secret passageway he'd discovered as a child and went straight upstairs. The moment he rounded a corner, he ran into a maid, who shrieked and nearly dropped her tray at the sight of him.

"Your – Your Highness," she stuttered, curtseying awkwardly whilst still holding the tray. "You... um..."

"Listen," he said wearily. "We both know you've probably heard a lot of things about me. I can tell you now that most of those things are probably not true, at least not in the way they were described to you."

She merely stared at him wide-eyed.

"Could you just... do me a favour and not tell anyone else I'm here?" he asked her. "I need to speak with my parents and that's going to be rather difficult if I have to do that whilst dodging every person in this castle because they all believe me to be a traitor who has to be turned in."

She still looked utterly lost, but she nodded. "Of course, Your Highness. I won't say a thing."

"Thank you." He tried to give her a reassuring smile, but suspected it looked more like a grimace. "Do you know where my parents are?"

"The parlour, Your Highness," she replied and he thanked her and dashed off, slowing at every corner to check if the hallway beyond was empty first. Luckily, he did not encounter any more people until he reached the doorway to the parlour, where a guard was stationed.

He gave the guard the same story as the maid and although the man seemed a bit sceptical, he did go into the room to announce the prince, who then appeared from behind the guard. His father stared at him for a moment and his mother blinked a few times; but then she rushed over to her sun, wrapping him in a tight embrace. "Thank Oz you're all right!"

King Jorge waited until his wife had let Fiyero go before locking eyes with the younger man. "Sweet Oz, Fiyero," he said, shaking his head a little. "What have you gotten yourself into this time?"

"I didn't do anything!" Fiyero protested almost automatically.

His father waved the guard away and they all sat down. Danna looked her son over worriedly. "You look horrible, Fiyero. Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine," he assured her. "I've had a long journey, but I'm okay. I just... I need your help."

He told them the entire story, from the moment he and Elphaba had left for the Emerald City until now. They interrupted him a few times, asking him questions – about his relationship with Elphaba, their time at the hide-out, the attack, if they had had contact with anyone during their time on the run – but other than that, they merely listened. When he finished, they shared a look and the queen sighed.

"You should have let her go alone."

"Mum, no," Fiyero said, shaking his head. "You don't understand. I told you more than once that I love Elphaba, that I intend to spend the rest of my life with her... but I don't think you ever really got how much I do love her and what she means to me. I'd pretty much do anything for her, Mum. Giving up my life as I knew it wasn't easy, but I never doubted that decision for a clock-tick. I still don't. I just couldn't let her leave by herself. And besides," he added, wincing a little in anticipation of his parents' reaction to what he was about to say, "it turned out later that she's… she's pregnant."

They both stared at him.

"Is it yours?" Jorge asked and Fiyero bristled.

"Yes, of course it's mine!" he said hotly. "She's never been with anyone else!"

"You don't know that for sure," his father insisted.

Fiyero sighed, forcing himself to calm down and not snap at his father. He knew his parents had never fully understood his love for, and devotion to, the green girl. It had nothing to do with Elphaba personally – or even with her skin, although both Jorge and Danna had been a little shocked and wary to first hear about that. He suspected that they mostly could not understand it because they had never experienced it for themselves. Theirs had been an arranged marriage and although they had grown to love one another, in a way, Fiyero had always known that they were not, nor had they ever been, in love with each other. Partly because of that, he had never believed in true love himself – not until he had fallen in love with Elphaba.

"That's not important now, anyway," Fiyero went on, looking at his father. Of course he wanted to defend Elphaba, but he had more important things to worry about at the moment. "We can't change the past, even if I had wanted to – which I don't. Not that part, anyway. Right now I just need to find her. Can you help me do that?"

They shared another look, Danna's hesitant, Jorge's thoughtful.

"We could try," the king said finally. "We have ties to the resistance, too, so I can find out if they have seen her or been in touch with her."

"We have ties to the resistance?" Fiyero asked, unable to hide his surprise, and his father gave him a pointed look.

"You would have known that if you'd ever have paid attention in council meetings, Fiyero," Jorge said sourly. "You would have at the very least suspected it if you'd so much as thought about it. You know very well that we have never agreed with the Wizard's policies regarding the Animals – staying in touch with some of the groups rebelling against him is important in case there will be a breakthrough. If it should ever somehow become likely that the Wizard's government could be overthrown, there will be an alliance between the rebelling groups and the Vinkus to try and do just that. Until then, we're staying neutral – on the outside, anyway."

Fiyero was amazed – he'd never known any of this.

"Before any of that is going to happen, though," Danna cut in, critically looking at her son, "you are going to take a bath, have a good meal and a good night's sleep, and put on some clean clothes. Your father will look into this, but first you need to look after yourself."

The prince sighed, suddenly feeling like a boy once more instead of a grown man. "Yes, Mum."


	24. If Only

**24\. If Only**

As time went by, rumours started spreading about the supposed wicked witch who had attacked the Wonderful Wizard actually being said Wonderful Wizard's daughter.

Gazilon first heard the story of a fellow Gale Force member, who laughingly told it to a friend of his. "Apparently some people are claiming this story to be true now," he'd said, shaking his head and grinning. "Can you believe it?"

The young man had stiffened and wondered for a long time how his colleagues could possibly know about this. It bugged him that he could not come up with an answer and he didn't hear another rumour like that one for a while; but the next time he met Swan in a café, having a drink as they caught up on any new information they had, she mentioned it, too.

"The story has been spreading like wildfire among members of the resistance," she told him, sipping her wine. "No-one seems to be entirely certain of where it came from, but within the resistance, at least, most people seem to believe that Elphaba is indeed the Wizard's daughter. Some of them are even calling for her to step up and rule Oz, especially since the Wizard is still unconscious and the government is one big chaos with Morrible gone and no-one currently in charge."

"It's true," said Gazilon softly. "She is. His daughter, I mean."

Swan's eyes went wide. "Are you serious? Why didn't you say so before?"

"It… didn't come up?" Gazilon tried, but her eyes were already shining with excitement.

"That is wonderful – forgive my choice of words. Honey, don't you see what this means? She's the rightful heir to the throne of Oz. Like I said – with the Wizard out of the running, people are calling for a new leader. We need to spread the word further. Ideally, we'd prove it somehow, but I have no idea how we could do that…" She trailed off, thinking about it. "Is there anyone who could testify to Elphaba being his daughter?"

Gazilon shook his head. "They were the only ones there," he said. "Elphaba, the Wizard, and Morrible – and even if the latter would still be alive, there is no way she would ever have testified."

"Well, is there another way to prove it to the people, then?" Swan asked impatiently. "I don't know, through magic?"

"No-one is ever going to believe any proof Elphaba conjures up with magic," he pointed out. "They'd all think her to be manipulating them into believing the story to be true so that she'd get to rule Oz."

Swan tapped her nails against her glass thoughtfully. "I wasn't necessarily talking about Elphaba. Surely there are other people in Oz who have magic?"

Gazilon shrugged helplessly. "The only people with magic I've ever known are Elphaba, the Wizard, and Morrible. And Galinda, I suppose," he added as an afterthought, "although I'm not sure how much magic she can actually do. Nothing of the calibre we need, I think, but I'll ask her nonetheless. I'll write to both her and Fiyero, see if they have any other ideas."

"You do that, darling." Swan finished her drink and rose to her feet. "In the meantime, I will keep spreading the word – if people keep hearing about it, they might get used to the idea. That way, if proof ever comes up, they'll probably accept it more easily." She sighed. "Ideally, we'd print the news in the papers, but I have no idea how we could do that. We've tried to get resistance members into Ozian newspaper offices for ages, but they're very careful when it comes to hiring their employees ever since that scandalous story about the duchess of Appleton was published by a former lover of hers wanting revenge on her because she left him – remember that?" Without waiting for a response, she went on. "Of course I'll contact the resistance nonetheless, tell them the story is true and advise them to at least get it published in some tabloids where we have members working, but hardly anyone ever reads those anymore. We need to reach the big public…"

Gazilon had perked up a little. "Maybe we can."

She gave him a questioning look.

"I know someone who works at _The Ozian_ ," he said. "I'm not sure how influential this person is – if she can change the contents of the paper before it goes to print, or even if she'd be willing to help… but I know that if I were to ask her this, she wouldn't betray me to anyone, so it's worth the risk, right?"

"Definitely," Swan agreed. "Try it. We'll meet again in a while." She smirked at him. "Still not interested?" She asked him that every time they said good-bye. It was becoming a bit of an inside joke between them, although he suspected she asked every man she knew the exact same question every time she left them.

This time, however, he actually thought about it. He was still in love with Elphaba. There was no doubt in his mind about that now. At the same time, however, he knew that it would never happen and that he needed to move on. She was pregnant with another man's child, for Oz's sake – and even if she weren't, she still belonged with Fiyero, not with him. He also wanted to forget about the stupid things he'd done and about all the complicated stuff going on at the moment, if only for just one night… so why not?

And so he said, "Actually, I think I am."

Swan raised her eyebrows. "Are you serious?"

He nodded. "But only for one night, okay? We're not letting this affect anything going on at the moment. It's too important. Let's just look at it as a business agreement – I pay you, you provide me with a service, and there's nothing more to it."

She looked amused now. "Really, darling, how long do you think I've been doing this job already? It's always just a business agreement to me." She held out her hand. "Your house?"

He nodded and took her hand, shaking it. "You know where I live. Be there at ten tonight."

"I will." She winked at him. "Trust me, hon – you won't regret it."

* * *

After moving into the hide-out, Elphaba continued her late-night scouting, only this time with a different purpose. Rather than trying to locate other hide-outs, she now looked for Animals who might be in need of help themselves. It was a system set up by some Birds that were part of the resistance and who also wanted to help people this way; but Elphaba, with her broom, could cover more distance than the average Bird and so they were happy with her help. Since the Wizard's officials and advisors were still maintaining the Animal Bans while the Wizard was unconscious, it was getting more and more dangerous for Animals to be recognised as such and so many of them were fleeing the cities and wandering around Oz. Whenever Elphaba found one or more of those Animals, she'd try to help them by providing them with food or blankets when needed and by pointing them in the direction of the closest hide-out.

With her flying around between hide-outs, discovering more of those every day, she soon became well-known among resistance members, although she was careful to pick out the hide-outs that would protect the Animals as opposed to the ones belonging to the rebellion Barridon and the others were also a part of. They had helped her with her mission to assassinate Morrible, but she still did not agree with their methods and she wanted to stay away from them if she could.

Somehow her parentage had also become public knowledge, leading the inhabitants of the hide-outs to address her as "Your Highness" or "princess", much to her discomfort. She hadn't made a secret of the fact that she was the Wizard's daughter – not anymore – but she was still astonished to see how quickly the information was picked up by others and how soon and far it spread, although she could not foresee at that point what it would come to mean later on.

In the meantime, Brownie had made friends his own age in the hide-out she had first located – the one she always came back to at night and where she also left Brownie during the day. Despite the fact that he grew close to other people, however, the Bunny still seemed to prefer Elphaba's company – something she could not begin to understand, since she was hardly pleasant company. She was either busy or depressed, sometimes emotional due to her hormones, and she knew she was not fun to be around at all. It didn't help that her baby bump was starting to show, which only reminded her of what she'd lost, no matter how hard she tried to repress those feelings.

Sometimes at night, when she was alone, wrapped in blankets and trying to sleep, she was overwhelmed by emotions and memories and she could do nothing but cry – terrible, heart-wrenching sobs that racked her entire body and that she could not stop, no matter how hard she tried. Those nights, Brownie always came to lie with her, crawling next to her between the blankets and snuggling up against her chest, allowing her to hold him and bury her face in his fluffy fur as she cried. She never said anything afterwards and he never mentioned it, either. It was an unspoken agreement between the two of them; he knew she hated him seeing her like that, vulnerable and, in her own eyes, weak, but he also knew that she appreciated what he did for her.

It was on one of her scouting missions that she located two small balls of fur cowering behind a bush on the side of the Yellow Brick Road. After making sure the coast was clear and covered by the darkness, which was almost complete at this hour, she landed nearby and made her way over to them. "Shh," she whispered. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I'm here to help you."

They turned to face her, a pair of orange eyes and a pair of green ones, and she recognised them with a pang. "Bob and Noah?"

"Elphaba!" Bob cried and he all but flung himself at her, burying his head in her dress. She caught him and held him, stroking his fur reassuringly.

"What happened? Where's your mother?" she asked, fearing the worst. She was glad she'd found these two – she and Fiyero had both taken quite a liking to them, a feeling she knew to be mutual; but she was also worried about Moula. If the mother Cat had died, Bob and Noah would be devastated.

"We lost her," said Noah quietly, curling into herself. "We had to flee at some point and we just... couldn't find her again. We don't know where she is."

Elphaba took a breath. At least Moula wasn't dead... not that they knew, anyway. Still, these two needed her help. They were only about Brownie's age – they couldn't stay out here on their own.

"Don't worry," she said. "I'll help you. We'll try to find your mother, but until then, I'm going to take you to a safe place, okay?" She mounted her broom and held out her arm. "Hop on."

Bob instantly leapt onto the broomstick, snuggling up against Elphaba to secure himself. Noah was a bit more hesitant, but she did approach the young witch.

"It'll be okay," Elphaba said softly and Noah nodded, climbing on beside her brother. Elphaba braced them as much as she could with her knees and arms as she leaned over and carefully rose up into the air, pointing the broom in the direction of the hide-out where she had left Brownie. She knew there to be another hide-out closer to this place, but she wanted to keep an eye on these two herself and keep them close. They were children, after all, and at least they knew her – she didn't want to leave them with strangers.

It turned out they quickly befriended Brownie and they spent a lot of time sauntering around the village together, just the three of them. Elphaba was glad to see it; everyone loved the three adorable balls of fluff and it was good to know they were in good hands while she was out. She started spending more and more time flying around, having discovered that flying helped clear her mind of all the things she did not want to think about, leaving it blissfully empty.

She didn't think about the future. She couldn't. She should, what with the baby and all; but it just hurt too much. All she could focus on was the right now and she would keep doing that, one step at a time.


	25. Plans in Progress

**First of all, thank you so much to those who have reviewed. I really appreciate it.**

 **I'm honestly happy with every review I get and I'm usually not one to whine about them, but lately I've noticed that I seem to be getting less and less reviews and I'm just wondering why. This one has never had as many stats and/or reviews as some of my others, which I suppose is caused by the fact that it's a sequel and that puts some people off; but if you are reading and just not generally reviewing, would you please drop me a review now to let me know what you think? It would mean the world to me.**

* * *

 **25\. Plans In Progress**

It had been five weeks since he had been separated from Elphaba and Fiyero was _not_ happy. He knew his parents were worried about him. He also knew that if Elphaba could see him right now, she'd scold him for being dramatic and tell him bluntly to get himself together. She wasn't here to see him, however, and so he kept on moping.

Every few days, he received one or more letters from the Emerald City, Gillikin, or Munchkinland – or from more than one of those places. Boq and Galinda, who were still staying with Galinda's parents, kept him updated on anything they heard about Elphaba – rumours, newspaper articles, even articles in the tabloids – and on their progress in finding her; but since they had no idea how to actually go about that, there was not a lot of progress to be reported. Nessa, too, wrote to both him and Galinda, telling them that her father still refused to talk about his green-skinned daughter, but that she was keeping her eyes and ears open for news about her sister.

The most useful letters came from Gazilon, who was still working in the City with Swan and, by now, also with Cohvu, whom he had encountered again as the blond man had been accepted into the Gale Force. Cohvu had told Gazilon about his mission for the resistance, to infiltrate the Gale Force; and Gazilon had promised that he would do the best he could to help this time, still trying to make up for his earlier mistake.

When it came to tangible evidence, however, there was very little they had found. Sightings of a figure on a broomstick were reported by people all over Oz occasionally and Gazilon and Cohvu informed Fiyero that the Gale Force sent out men each time to track the reports, but they never found her. That was a relief, on the one hand, because at least she wasn't captured by the Gale Force; but on the other hand, it didn't bring them any closer to finding her, either, and Fiyero was slowly growing desperate.

"Other people who can do magic," he muttered to himself, re-reading Gazilon's most recent letter. "What makes him think I know other people who can do magic? I didn't even know magic actually existed until I first met Elphaba!"

"What was that, son?" King Jorge, who was working at his desk, asked; and Fiyero made a face.

"Gazilon asks if I know anyone who can do magic. Besides Elphaba, obviously. Someone who could find a way to magically prove that Fae is the Wizard's daughter." He'd told his parents everything and kept them updated on the situation even now, figuring that perhaps they could help him if they knew the whole story. At the very least, they'd understand what he was doing. He had no-one but them to talk to here at Adurin Iir, since he was still technically a fugitive and so he made sure to stay out of sight of any staff members. His parents had helped him with that by making up some excuse for the staff to not come in the west wing of the second floor, where he was staying.

Jorge rubbed his forehead, his gaze still trained on the paperwork he was dealing with. "Someone who can do magic... do you mean like the Sorceress of the South?"

When no reply came, he glanced up, only to find Fiyero staring at him. "Fiyero?"

"The Sorceress of the South," the prince echoed incredulously. "Are you serious?"

Jorge was confused. "Yes. She can do magic – you know that. Or you should, since we certainly tried to educate you about the subject of other leaders in Oz," he added, raising his eyebrows.

Fiyero decided to let that slide. "She lives in Quadling Country, right? Can you contact her? Ask her if she would be capable of doing such a thing – of using magic to prove that a blood bond exists between two people, or to hear a conversation that has taken place a while ago?"

"Sure." The king made a note on a piece of paper. "I'll send her a letter. We're on good terms with the Quadlings – as far as I'm aware, they're on good terms with the resistance, too, so I bet they'll be willing to help us."

"Wait. So Quadling Country, the resistance, and the Vinkus are basically all on the same page?" Fiyero asked. "Do you think that together, we'd have enough power to support Elphaba as the new ruler of Oz? If the Sorceress of the South can bring out the truth about what happened with Elphaba, the Wizard, and Morrible that day, then it's a proven fact that she is the princess of Oz. I bet we'd be able to get most of the Ozian people on our side. Then there's us, the leaders of the Vinkus, and the leader of the Quadlings, supporting her. The resistance is a large group of supporters and if we can get some important families from the other provinces on our side – say, for example, the Uplands and the Damarans, since Galinda and Gazilon's parents would probably be willing to cooperate... perhaps even Frexspar, in Munchkinland – Nessa might be able to convince him to help. We'd stand strong. We could back Elphaba up in her claim and all of Oz would be changed if she were to become the queen."

Jorge was eyeing his son with a strange expression on his face and Fiyero shifted uncomfortably. "What?"

His father shook his head. "It's just... I've never seen you like this, Fiyero," he confessed, "or heard you talk like this. So mature, laying out a plan that's thought through rather well... I guess I've just never heard you sound like a king before." He smiled. "I'm proud of you."

Fiyero returned the smile. "Thanks, Dad, but I don't think I can take the credit for that. I told you before how much Elphaba has changed me. I'm doing this for her, you know."

"I know. Or, well, I thought so." Jorge watched him closely and a bit wistfully. "You know… we never really understood you, your mother and I," he confessed. "Maybe we've pushed you a little too hard at times, but we really only ever wanted what was best for you. I can't help but feel that it was partly our fault that you started acting… the way you did."

"I know you did the best you could," said Fiyero, but his father shook his head.

"We did," he said. "But maybe that was not good enough. I'm glad you found someone who _does_ understand you, though. A part of me wishes that could have been your mother or me, but in the end it doesn't matter who it is, as long as he or she makes you happy; and I can tell Elphaba does that for you."

On an impulse, Fiyero moved over to where his father was sitting and hugged him. "I love you, Dad. Both of you. Maybe you didn't really understand me, but you've always been great parents."

"Thank you, son. We love you, too." Jorge pulled away and picked up his pen. "I will write to the Sorceress of the South right now. I'll do the best I can to get you your girl back and to clear her name. I promise."

Fiyero watched him for a while. "Thank you."

"No problem." The king waved him away. "Now shoo. I believe you have some letters of your own to write."

* * *

"The Sorceress of the South," Gazilon muttered, the corners of his mouth turning up in a smile. "Of course. Why didn't I think of that?"

Satisfied that their plan was still progressing, he folded Fiyero's letter and put it in a drawer. King Jorge had written to the Quadling sorceress; with a bit of luck, she would be able to help prove Elphaba's position as princess of Oz. Before that, however, the word needed to be spread – and as he had told Swan before, he had the perfect idea to do that.

He threw on a coat and left his home, striding through the streets of the Emerald City until he reached the office of _The Ozian_ , one of the most widely read newspapers in all of Oz. He entered the building, a small bell tinkling above his head, and a girl came hurrying from the back.

"Good afternoon!" she greeted him cheerfully. "How can I help you?"

"Hello," he said, giving her his most charming smile. "I heard that a friend of mine is doing her internship here on Saturdays and I thought I'd stop by and say hi." He mentioned her name and the girl nodded enthusiastically.

"She's in the back! I'll go and get her for you," she promised and darted off again. Not too long thereafter, the person he had been intending to see came up to him, a smile lighting up her face.

"Gazilon? What are you doing here?"

"Seeing you," he said, hugging her. "You look good, Lanae."

She giggled. "Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself. Gale Force has been good for you, huh?"

He tried to hide his grimace at that, but he decided not to say anything. That wasn't why he was here and he wanted to keep her knowledge about anything Elphaba- or resistance-related as limited as possible. He'd have to tell her enough already as it was. "I need your help."

She took him to a coffee corner in the back, where they both sat down and she looked at him expectantly.

He took a breath. "You're involved in the creation of _The Ozian_ , right?"

She gave him a look. "Yes, Gazilon. That's why I'm here at the office of _The Ozian_ , after all." She chuckled, fondly shaking her head at him. "What is it you want?"

He'd known about her internship here – he still kept in touch with some old friends who had just started their last year at Shiz and he had heard that Lanae, whilst also still managing and singing in _Gravity_ , had been offered an internship at _The Ozian_. She now worked here every Saturday, which would look good on her diploma once she'd graduate from Shiz. That was why she was so perfect for this job.

He explained to her the brief version of everything going on with Elphaba and Fiyero, including the fact that Elphaba was the Wizard's daughter and the way he and some other people – whom he did not call by name – wanted to help bring this information out into the open. "And that is where you come in," he said, watching her face carefully for a reaction. "We want to write an article about this and we want it to be printed in _The Ozian_."

She stayed quiet for a while, tapping the table with her long fingernails. "Oz, Gazilon..."

"It's not dangerous for you," he assured her. "No-one will connect you to it at all, if everything goes well. But you work here – it wouldn't be strange for you to hang around here – and if you could secretly make sure the article appears in the next edition of the paper..." He bit his lip. "You do believe me, don't you?"

She was silent again, then nodded slowly. "I believe you," she said. "I mean, I knew Elphaba, too, at Shiz – and Fiyero, of course." He gave her a sympathetic look and she smiled wryly at him before continuing. "I didn't really believe everything that was being said about her attacking the Wizard. But this... I want to help, but if I get caught, all my plans for the future will go up in smoke, Gazilon. I'll never get another job again."

"And that would be terrible, wouldn't it?" he asked her sarcastically, an unusually sharp undertone in his voice. "Although at least you wouldn't be a fugitive, trying to stay alive and help Animals and yet watching them getting slaughtered by the Gale Force. Because _that_ would be _really_ horrible."

She pointed a finger at him menacingly. "Don't be that way with me," she said hotly. "I can't imagine what Elphaba and Fiyero must be going through and I'm sure it's horrible, but this is my life and that's important, too, Gazilon. Not everyone keeps himself busy with matters of life or death."

"You could, though," he pointed out harshly. "You could make a difference – help your former friends, even help make things better in Oz, indirectly. Would you really turn away from that?"

She stared at the wall, lost in thought. "I need to think about this," she said. "Come back tonight before dinnertime – I'll give you my answer then. If it's a yes, make sure your article is ready next Saturday, so I can sneak it in on my next work day. It would be printed in the Sunday edition."

He nodded, satisfied. "Thank you, Lanae. I'll meet you at the door when you're done working."

* * *

There was a silhouette in the dark and she caught a glimpse of messy, sandy hair and bright blue eyes. A sob escaped her lips and she brought her hand to her mouth, tears in her eyes. "Fi-Fiyero?"

It was him. He approached her and she wanted to run to him, but something was stopping her. Frowning, she realised that he did not look happy to see her. Instead, he looked... murderous and not quite like himself.

It wasn't until he came into the pool of moonlight she was standing in that she realised he was burnt all over.

"You," he growled, his blue eyes almost phosphorescent and filled with madness, "you killed me. It's your fault I'm dead!"

"No!" She tried to move, but she couldn't. She could only stand there and cry as he approached her, closing his fingers around her throat.

"How does it feel, Fae," he whispered, bringing his face close to hers, "to be murdered by the one you love?" Before she could even reply, there was suddenly a sharp pain in her abdomen and she gasped. The knife seemed to have come from nowhere and she screamed as he yanked it out and stabbed her again, hissing, "Say good-bye to our baby, _sweetheart_. Don't worry, though – we'll all be together in death!" He laughed and she screamed again.

And then she was suddenly somewhere else, tangled up in some blankets, with three pairs of eyes staring at her. She gasped and Brownie asked tentatively, "Elphaba?"

Noah softly touched her arm. "Miss Elphaba? Are you all right?"

"Fine," she breathed. "I'm fine." She shuddered, cold sweat covering her skin, and she pulled the blankets tighter around her. She almost subconsciously touched her abdomen, relief washing over her when she realised the baby bump was still there. "It was just a nightmare."

Bob was quick to snuggle up against her, burrowing into her arms. "It's okay, Miss Elphaba," he said. Noah followed him, licking Elphaba's cheek and then cuddling up against the green girl as well, and Brownie was not far behind. She could only smile at them as she cradled the three young Animals to her chest, watching as they drifted off to sleep again.

She didn't sleep anymore after the nightmare, however; and after a while, she gently pulled away, grabbed her broom, and left the cottage. She soared up high into the air, where the wind whipped her hair around her face and blew the thoughts from her mind for a while. Since she figured she was up here now anyway, she was also careful to keep an eye out for Animals in need of help or for Gale Force soldiers.

And she was glad she did; because there, only a few kilometres away from the hide-out she was staying in, was a group of Gale Force.

She swore and steered her broom down, landing on the road she knew they were headed down, waiting. They appeared not long thereafter and she raised her hands, which were crackling with magic.

"Good morning," she said pleasantly, but her eyes were shooting fire. "It's a little early for a stroll, isn't it?"

A ripple of "It's the wicked witch!" went through the men before her and she smirked. "Congratulations. Your eyesight is still good." Her smirk dropped. "Tell me – why are you here?"

"We _were_ here because there is supposed to be a hide-out for Animals that we had to eliminate," one of them said – apparently their leader, because he stepped up to the front and eyed her up and down with a grin. "It seems like we can also catch a witch, however. That'll certainly earn us a reward."

She threw her head back and cackled. "You really think I'll let you catch me and kill those Animals?" She glared at them. "Over my dead body."

"That can be arranged." The leader glanced over his shoulder and barked, "Shoot her!"

She raised one hand, muttering under her breath. The soldiers all tried to shoot, but their rifles didn't work anymore.

"Just because I couldn't find a way to cure the Wizard, doesn't mean I didn't learn _anything_ from those spell books," she told them upon seeing their confused looks.

One of them frowned. "Why would you want to _cure_ the Wizard? You tried to kill him!"

"It's too late now, anyway," the leader interjected angrily. "In case you haven't heard, witch – His Ozness is dead."

* * *

"The Wizard is _dead_ , Lanae." Gazilon looked at her pleadingly. "Please. This changes everything. He can't testify anymore now and Oz will be plunged into chaos if nothing happens soon. Please say you'll help us."

She nodded, taking a deep breath. "I'll help you."

Gazilon exhaled. "Thank you."

"Bring me that article early next Saturday," she instructed him. "I'll have it printed in the Sunday edition, I promise."

* * *

 **Reviews are like chocolate or Starbucks coffee - highly motivational and you can never get enough of it!**


	26. Relight My Fire

**I know I told some of you this would be the reunion chapter, but I made a mistake numbering the chapters, resulting in two chapters 26... so the Fiyeraba reunion is the next chapter. Sorry! I might start trying for once-every-two-days updates again, though since I've got some more chapters pre-written now.**

 **Thank you all so much for the reviews, especially Moreanswers24, who went back and reviewed every single chapter - making it no surprise that you're the 200th reviewer! Virtual kudos/cupcakes/cookies/PIE for you with a Fiyero on top!**

 **Silvine: Don't worry. I have plans for Gazilon.**

* * *

 **26\. Relight My Fire**

She had to kill them.

They knew the location of the hide-out. It was too dangerous if she let them live. She killed their leader first with a bolt of magic, hoping maybe she could talk some sense into the other ones – after all, they had been curious before about why she'd want to cure the Wizard. Maybe they'd believe her – but they started attacking her before she could get a word in.

Maybe it was for the best. Even if she did talk to them and manage to convince them of her non-wickedness, it would be a huge risk and the lives of the Animals and fugitives in the hide-out would be on the line. She'd have to find another way to bring out the truth.

She fought mostly with her magic, but even then, it was difficult. There were a lot of them and they were skilled fighters. At some point, she was battling one of them and she suddenly heard a shout behind her; and she whirled around just in time to see one of the soldiers impale another one on his sword. The latter one had been trying to stab her from behind.

She gaped at the soldier coming to her aid for a moment before he raised his head and winked at her and she realised who it was. "Cohvu?!"

"Good morning, Princess Elphaba," he said, grinning impishly even as he casually punched a fellow soldier of his in the face. "Lovely day, isn't it? Don't look so surprised," he added, seeing the shock on her face. "You knew I was going to infiltrate the Gale Force. This is me having infiltrated the Gale Force."

She fired another blast at a few Gale Force soldiers. "Is it true?"

"Is what true, Your Highness?" He turned so that he was standing back-to-back with her and they could each cover one side.

She risked a glance over her shoulder at him, ignoring his teasing. "Is he dead?" she asked.

He understood right away. "The Wizard? Yes. He succumbed to his injuries a couple of days ago." He fought off another solder and then used his free hand to grip her arm, making her look at him. "I'm sorry, El," he said sincerely.

She clenched her teeth and fired another bolt at an advancing Gale Force man. "I didn't even know him."

"He was still your father, though." He lowered his sword, panting. Every last one of the Gale Force soldiers was gone now and he turned away from the gruesome sight, pulling the green girl with him. "And he could have cleared your name."

She sighed. "For that reason, I _am_ sorry he is dead," she said quietly. She let out a mirthless laugh. "I guess I'll have to live the rest of my life as a fugitive, huh? Not to mention my baby..." She sighed again, lightly touching her belly and then shaking her head. "I've been trying so hard to keep hoping, Cohvu, but... but I don't know if I can anymore. All this time, I've been holding on to the hope that the Wizard would wake up, or I would be able to cure him, and he could clear my name... I don't _want_ to spend the rest of my life on the run," she said, near tears suddenly. "I can't do that to my child! I already took his father away from him..." She bit her lip so hard she tasted blood, not looking at Cohvu as they walked side by side away from the dead Gale Force men. "Fiyero was the optimistic one throughout all of this, not me," she whispered. She wrapped her arms around her own waist, hugging herself. "He's the one who pulled me through all this time. I made it this far without him, but now, knowing this... I really don't know if I can go on."

She was angrily wiping at the tears spilling from her eyes, cursing herself from crying and for being weak; but Cohvu suddenly stopped walking and grabbed her wrists.

"Of course you can go on," he said fiercely. "You're Elphaba Thropp, Oz dammit. You handled more courses and extracurricular activities back at Shiz than anyone ever did in the history of universities. You survived your father treating you like a servant for basically your entire life. You escaped Morrible's wrath and lived on the run – and you did it while you were carrying an Oz-forsaken _baby_. You can get through this, too. You don't have to do it alone, you know."

She was still sniffling and he pulled her against his chest, rubbing her back as he held her to him and let her bury her face in his shirt. "What did you mean, anyway?" he asked. "In what way did you take Fiyero away from your baby?"

"He's dead because of me," she sniffled and he blinked and then pulled away from her to look her in the eye.

"Who told you that?"

"What?" She wiped her nose with the sleeve of her dress. "That he's... gone? I saw him, Cohvu. I saw him run into a burning building and it... it collapsed." She couldn't help the fresh tears that welled up in her eyes and she shivered. "He's gone..."

"When?" he asked intently. "When did you see that?"

She heaved a shaky sigh. "About... six weeks ago, I think? I sort of lost track of time lately... What?" she asked when she saw that Cohvu was shaking his head.

"El," he said gently, "I have no idea what you saw, exactly; but I can assure you that Gazilon told me about a week ago that he had received a letter from Fiyero, from the Vinkus. I haven't seen him, personally, but I'm fairly certain he's alive."

It truly felt like her heart stopped for a moment. "What?"

"I'm going to write to Gazilon as soon as possible," Cohvu promised, "and I'll find out for sure, but I'm almost entirely sure already, El. I've seen Gaz around a few times since I started working for the Gale Force and I know he's mentioned letters from both Galinda and Fiyero on several occasions. They've been concocting this grand plan together – as far as I know, they want to bring your heritage out into the open, let all of Oz know who you really are – the Wizard's daughter and the princess of Oz."

She could only stare at him for a long time, feeling dizzy and disoriented, as if she was dreaming and this wasn't really happening. She swayed a little and Cohvu placed a hand at the small of her back, steadying her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, then shook her head.

"It's a bit much, isn't it? Come on, I'll take you home. We can talk more there." He picked her up and cradled her to him as he started walking again, asking her for directions every now and then, until they were back at the hide-out.

Brownie, Noah, and Bob all came running when they saw the pair of them. "Elphaba!"

"I'm fine," she assured them with a faint smile, although she still looked pale and shaken. "You guys remember Cohvu, don't you?"

They did and they chatted as Cohvu set Elphaba back down on her feet and she slipped away from the group, into the cottage she'd been staying in, where she lay down between her blankets and stared up at the ceiling.

Fiyero was alive.

Could it be true? She'd been so convinced he was dead... but how? Had he somehow survived the burning house collapsing after all? She couldn't imagine that – it had been one big sea of flames and burning rubble.

Unless...

Unless it had never been Fiyero running into that house in the first place.

She hadn't seen him _that_ well. She'd just seen a blond man her own age with Fiyero's posture running into that house and she had simply assumed that it was him, but it had been dark and there had been fire everywhere, and it had all happened so fast... it could have been someone else, she supposed. She never really saw his face.

Then again, Cohvu could be wrong. She told herself firmly to not get her hopes up. If she did and Fiyero turned out to be dead after all, she didn't know what she would do.

She took a deep breath, softly rubbing her slightly swollen stomach and trying to calm herself down. It wasn't long before Cohvu and the three young Animals joined her again, four pairs of concerned eyes settling on her.

She snapped. "Stop looking at me like that."

"I'm sorry," said Brownie in a small voice. "We're just worried about you."

"Don't be," she told him a little gruffly, but less unfriendly than before. "I'm fine."

"You always say that," Bob piped up and she glared at him, causing him to close his mouth and not say anything else. Cohvu merely chuckled in agreement and pulled the brown ball of fluff into his lap, scratching Bob's ears.

"You're right, Bob," he stage-whispered to the Kitten, "but she doesn't like hearing that, so let's just humour her, okay?"

Elphaba now directed her glare at the blond man as Bob whispered back, "Okay", and Cohvu grinned at him.

"Listen," Cohvu said, sobering and looking at Elphaba seriously. "I'm going to stay here with you for a while. I'll write to Gaz in the City and – why are you shaking your head?"

"You can't stay with me," she stated. "You're a resistance member undercover as Gale Force – you have to get back to the City and keep playing that role. We might need you later on."

He opened his mouth to protest, but she laid a hand on his arm. "Cohvu, please. You have to go back. I'll be fine, really."

He sighed. "Fine. I will. Although I'm not sure what I should tell them happened to the rest of the men... but I'll figure something out – I'll make up some kind of attack or whatever. But you," he pointed a menacing finger at her, "stay put, okay? Don't go travelling around. I'm pretty sure that once I tell the others that you're here, at least one of them is going to want to come here to see you and I think you should stop being so stubborn and just accept our help. I know you don't want to endanger us, but we're going to keep looking for you and trying to help you, anyway, one way or another. You'd make it much easier for everyone if you'd just let us."

She scowled at him and grumbled, but he pressed on until she relented. "Fine."

He gave her a boyish grin. "I'll be honest with you – I don't mind going back to the City so much," he said, his eyes alight with something she couldn't quite place, but it made sense with his next words. "There's someone there I've been kind of missing since I left."

She sat up straighter. "You have a boyfriend?!"

"Not quite," he corrected her. He grinned goofily again. "Not yet, anyway. But, well, there's this _really_ cute resistance member who's also in the Gale Force, and I know for a fact that he does not fancy women... we've talked a lot, but we haven't really spent much time alone outside of our jobs. We're both a bit busy."

"Still," she said, managing a smile for him. "I'm happy for you."

"I know you are." He hugged her. "It'll be okay, El, really. Your name will be cleared in the end, Fiyero will find you, and you'll be able to raise a happy little family in the Emerald Palace." He grinned. "Imagine that. King Fiyero and Queen Elphaba, ruling Oz with a little green prince as their heir..."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Okay, one: I still don't actually believe the people would ever accept me as their leader. Two: you said you weren't _completely_ sure Fiyero is even alive. Three: I really, really hope my baby won't be green and aside from that, you don't even know the gender. There are _so_ many things wrong with that vision of yours and to be honest, your optimism is kind of annoying."

"There you go!" he exclaimed dramatically, winking at the three young Animals before looking back at Elphaba. "Sarcasm, logic, pessimism, irritability – there's the Elphaba we all know and love! I was already starting to worry about you."

She whacked his arm. "It's impossible to have a normal conversation with you!"

He grimaced, rubbing his arm. "You didn't have to hit me so hard," he whined.

"You're a Gale Force soldier and a resistance member. Surely you're not such a wuss that you can't take a whack in the arm?"

"You hit hard!"

She cackled and he grinned. He was mostly teasing her the way he used to back at Shiz, purposefully being childish, because he'd hoped it would make her feel a little better. He wasn't used to Elphaba being so sad and gloomy – he didn't think he'd seen her cry before today, either; and although he understood, he thought a bit of laughter wouldn't hurt her. Once Fiyero was back, he was sure she would be fine, but until then she needed some lightness every now and then.

"I'll go right away, then," he said, carefully removing Bob from his lap and rising to his feet. "The sooner I get back, the sooner I can talk to Gaz."

She rose to her feet as well and he kissed her cheek. "Stay safe, okay?"

"You do realise you're talking to the walking commotion, right?" When he gave her a stern look, she rolled her eyes. "Oh, fine. I'll do my best. But only if you do the same thing."

"Promise." He gave her one last grin and then left. Elphaba sat back down, absently stroking Noah's fur as she watched Bob and Brownie playing together and wondered if Cohvu was right about Fiyero, still afraid to get her hopes up, but unable to extinguish the spark of hope she felt.

She supposed she would find out soon enough.


	27. Love You To Death

**Despite the meanness of this chapter and the cliffy, I personally really do like it. Especially the beginning with Gaz and Cohvu!**

* * *

 **27\. Love You To Death**

As promised, the moment Cohvu returned to the Emerald City, he went to visit Gazilon. He explained Elphaba's situation to the other man – that she was in Munchkinland, still pregnant, still believing Fiyero to be dead until he had told her otherwise – and asked him about Fiyero.

"He's alive," Gazilon confirmed. "I've seen him myself. He's still staying in the Vinkus with his parents, but I'll send him a letter right away. He's been looking for Elphaba ever since they got separated, only he had no idea where to find her and he couldn't very well go wandering around Oz when everyone is looking for him."

Cohvu let out a breath. "Good. Oz. Can you please write to him, Gaz? Tell him where she is. He'll probably want to go there straight away."

"Probably," the other man agreed. He grinned at the blond. "I'm really glad you found her, Cohvu." His face fell. "Did she... say anything about me?"

Cohvu shook his head. "No, not really. Why?"

Gazilon sighed and explained to his friend what had happened the last time he had seen Elphaba. "She hates me," he finished miserably. "And I can't blame her. I just..."

"Love her?" Cohvu asked knowingly and Gazilon sighed again.

"I really thought I could move on," he said. "I mean, it's been so long – it's pathetic, really. But I can't. The mere idea of her being in danger turns me into some kind of savage and I'd do anything to protect her, but I only made things worse. What I'm doing now, helping to bring the truth out and clear her name... it's a way of trying to redeem myself for what I've done, even though I know I can never really do that."

"It's not pathetic," said Cohvu. "It's love. You can't really help that." He met his friend's gaze. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Of course," Gazilon said and Cohvu chuckled slightly.

"Back when we were all still in the bandtogether, even before Elphaba came along, I... oh, Oz, this is embarrassing." He buried his face in his hands. "I was in love with Fiyero."

Gazilon gaped at him and Cohvu peeked between his fingers before hiding again. "I know, I know. Laugh at me. But really – can you blame me? He's handsome, he's charming... all the girls wanted him, so it's not that strange that I wanted him, too, is it?"

"I guess not," said Gazilon, still looking a little shocked. "But I never suspected... did you tell him?"

Cohvu snorted. "Of course not. Everyone knows Fiyero is about as straight as they come, despite what those tight jodhpurs of his might suggest." He smirked, but then grew serious again. "My point is, Gaz, that I know what it feels like to be in love with someone you can never have and that I understand it's not something you choose to feel. You just do. And everyone knows that people in love do stupid things sometimes. I mean, look at Fiyero himself – although one might argue that he was doing stupid things long before he fell in love with Elphaba," he added, which made Gazilon chuckle.

"Thanks, Cohvu," he said and the blond grinned at him.

"No problem. That's what friends are for." He patted Gazilon's shoulder. "Now you go write that letter. Even if we can't have a happy ending with the people we are – or were, in my case – in love with, we can at least make sure those people can have their happy ending together, right?"

"Right," Gazilon agreed. The two exchanged a final look of understanding and then Cohvu left, intending to go see someone else whom he might get a happy ending with.

* * *

King Jorge and Queen Danna were quite surprised to find Fiyero running into the hallway one day, his face alight and looking altogether more excited than they remembered ever seeing him – especially in the past weeks.

"I know where she is!" he cried, waving a piece of paper in their faces as he dashed by. "Mum, Dad – she's in Munchkinland! I found her! I know where she is and I'm going to her right now!" He quickly planted a kiss on his mother's cheek. "Don't worry, I already packed everything I need. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I have to go. You understand that, right? Although honestly, even if you don't, I'm still going."

Danna frowned, clearly unhappy with her son, but she didn't say anything. Jorge assured him, "We understand, Fiyero." He was smiling slightly at his son's behaviour, even though his eyes betrayed his worry. "Be careful."

"I always am!" He waved at them, already dashing down the hallway. "Bye!"

He knew his parents would be worried about him, but he had to go. Now that he knew where she was, he couldn't _not_ go. And so he ran down to the stables, quickly saddled his horse, and stormed off. Fiyero bent lower over the horse's neck, intent on reaching Munchkinland as soon as possible.

He didn't stop for the night. He rode right through it, wanting to get to her as quickly as he could. Before he knew it, he was already passing cornfields, which were glowing golden under the setting sun; and it was only then that he realised the one big flaw in his plan. Where did he go and look for her?

He cursed himself for his brainlessness. Munchkinland was big – she could be anywhere. Gazilon had mentioned an Animal hide-out in the south-western part of the province, but that still left him an awfully large area to search and Fiyero wouldn't know where such a hide-out would be hidden. Figuring at least it wouldn't be in a populated area, he headed in the direction of Colwen Grounds. He was almost entirely sure that she would not be with her family, which was why he wouldn't be visiting the governor's mansion; but not far from Colwen Grounds was a forest that seemed to be as good a place as any to settle a resistance hide-out.

He was surprised at the amount of people still up and about at this time of the day – especially the Gale Force soldiers that seemed to be patrolling the area. There weren't nearly as many in the Vinkus, although they were milling around there, too. He supposed that if Elphaba really was here in Munchkinland, there must have been sightings of her flying around on her broom, which would explain the extra men – aside from the fact that this was her home province, so they might suspect her to come back here.

That didn't mean it wasn't annoying, however. It was hard to travel when you constantly had to hide from Gale Force.

He was close to Colwen Grounds and the forest – his first stop to look for the hide-out where Elphaba was – when someone behind him suddenly shouted, "Halt!".

A quick glance over his shoulder told him two Gale Force soldiers were pursuing him and he urged his horse to go faster, knowing that he couldn't let them catch him. However, they were riding horses, too, and they went after him. It felt like they chased him for hours, but in reality, it couldn't have been more than minutes before they caught up with him and one of them threw himself off his own horse and at Fiyero. He hit the prince in the side and they toppled down together, rolling into the grass on the side of the road. The soldier pinned Fiyero down and his colleague came rushing over.

"The Vinkun prince," he said menacingly, pointing his rifle at the prince. Fiyero struggled, but the man on top of him punched him in the jaw to keep him still. "Finally. The officials in the City were starting to whine about us not yet having found your little green friend, but at least now we have _something_ to give them. Her accomplice." He grinned. "Tie him up," he instructed the other. "We'll take him back with us."

Before he could do anything, however, their victim suddenly broke free and elbowed the one with the rifle hard in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain and let the prince go. Fiyero whirled around to face the other man, who tried to wrestle him back to the ground. His colleague quickly came over to help and the three men fought for a while… and then, all of a sudden, there was a gunshot.

The two soldiers shared a look as Fiyero collapsed on the floor, blood pouring from a wound in his chest. He did not move again.

"Idiot," one of them said. "We were supposed to capture him, not kill him. Now we can't interrogate him anymore!"

The other cursed. "Well, at least he's out of the way." He sighed. "We can't let the boss find out we killed him, though. He's been so set on interrogating this guy about the whereabouts of the witch…"

"We won't tell him." The first soldier grabbed the other's arm and pulled him along, away from the unmoving, but still bleeding prince. "We won't tell anyone. We'll just get out of here, leave him here, and pretend we've never seen him in the first place. They'll never know it was us."

* * *

The gunshot was what alarmed Elphaba, who was just setting out for another scouting trip from the sky, and she hesitated. Should she go see who had shot and why? It was probably Gale Force – it wasn't like every Ozian could just get his hands on a gun if he wanted to – and that meant she should stay far away, but what if they'd just shot an Animal or someone else who might need her help? Maybe it would be too late already, but she'd never forgive herself if she didn't at least go and see if there was something she could do.

She steered down, around the forest and closer to the road. She stayed low, using the trees at the edge of the forest for cover, and then landed and slowly, gingerly moved forward, her broom clutched in one hand so that she would be able to jump onto it and fly off if she found herself in danger. From between the trees, she could see two men in Gale Force uniforms walking back to the road and she waited for them to disappear from sight before making her way over to the spot they seemed to have left, at the edge of the woods, just beside the road.

What she found there made her heart stop.

"Fiyero," she breathed, running to him and falling down beside him on her knees. Even if she wasn't pregnant and hormonal, she would still have cried upon finding him here like this; but she didn't let her grief overwhelm her. Instead, she pressed her fingers to his neck and closed her eyes for a moment, sobbing with relief when she felt a heartbeat. It was faint, but it was there.

"Hold on," she begged him, even though he was unconscious and couldn't hear her. "Please, Yero, hold on…" She couldn't lose him now. Not again, not after she'd spent weeks thinking he was dead. She'd only just learned the truth, he was here right now – she was looking at his face for the first time in almost two months. Surely fate wouldn't be cruel enough to take him away from her right now?

Then again, she had never believed in fate. Perhaps this was her punishment for that.

Suddenly, in a moment of clarity, she wiped her tears away and held her hands above him. "Please, please let this work," she whispered – pleading with whom, she did not know, but she was willing to try anything right now. She closed her eyes and softly chanted the healing spell she'd learned by heart from the Grimmerie. It wouldn't be strong enough to heal him completely, but maybe it would be enough to save his life.

"Please," she whispered again, tears once more spilling over and dripping down onto his still body. "Yero, please… I love you. Please don't leave me."

She cast the spell, again and again, and then she carefully ripped open his shirt to get a good look at the wound. There was a wound in his back, too, so at least the bullet wasn't still stuck inside of him. She pressed her fingers to the artery in his neck again and this time, her tears were of relief when she found that his heartbeat was stronger than before. It had worked – to some extent, at least.

He wasn't out of danger yet, however, and she knew she needed to get him help… but she couldn't leave him. She couldn't very well drag him anywhere, either, however. She finally decided to cast the simple levitation spell on him that she'd cast on herself when she'd been stuck in that hole in the Great Kells, in order to make it easier for her to carry him. She supposed she could use the levitation spell she'd used on her broom, but she had no idea what would happen if she cast it on a person. She didn't want him to get hurt or fly off because she couldn't control it.

This spell was just enough to lessen his weight, so that she could half-carry him out of the forest. The hide-out was too far away; there was only one place she could think of to go to.

* * *

Frexspar took the opportunity to talk to Nessarose when they were having tea in the parlour.

"Darling," he said, delicately placing his cup on the saucer, "I can't help but feel that you're pulling away from me. Why won't you talk to me anymore?"

"I talk to you," she said, but he could tell her heart wasn't in it. She looked distracted even as she was talking to him. "I talk to you all the time. We've been spending hours together every day as you try to teach me about the governorship, so how can you say I don't talk to you anymore?"

"Not about other things," he corrected himself. "You never tell me anymore what's on your mind."

She snapped, "That's because the thing that's on my mind the most is also the thing _you_ refuse to talk or hear anything about!"

He was startled. His precious Nessarose never snapped – and especially not at him. "What?"

"Oh, you forgot about her already?"

He sighed. So that was what this was about. "Oh, my dear, I know you must miss your sister, but she has disgraced us! Can't you see that we're much better off without her?"

"I respect your wish, Father," she said quietly. "I won't talk to you about her if you don't want me to, just like I haven't talked to you about her for the past two months; but then you can't blame me for not talking to you anymore, because she's the main thing I want to talk about."

Frex pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming up. "Nessa…"

"Never mind, Father." She primly placed her saucer and cup on the table. "If you'll excuse me now, I'd like to go over those notes you gave me the other day." She wheeled herself out of the room and Frex heaved another sigh. It always went like this these days. Even now that she was not here anymore, his green daughter was ruining things – putting a strain on his relationship with his precious Nessa.

It was later that same night when someone knocked on the door and he looked up from his paperwork, frowning at the fact that someone would show up at his house at this time of the day. Remembering the housekeeper had already left for the day, he pushed his chair back and rose to his feet, muttering irritably under his breath as he made his way over to the front door and opened it.

He froze when he found his eldest daughter sitting there, cradling the head of a sandy-haired young man in her lap, with tears streaks on her face. Both of them were covered in blood and she looked up at him, a look in her eyes he had never seen there before. She looked scared, and desperate, and vulnerable, and… pleading. He didn't think he'd ever see or hear her plead. It wasn't until she straightened a little that he realised with a shock that she was pregnant.

"He needs help," she croaked. "Father... please." She met his gaze, imploring, and her voice broke when she said, "I didn't know where else to go."

* * *

 ***cackles maniacally, then chokes* Reviews are, as always, very much appreciated!**


	28. How to Save a Life

**It's okay, guys, please don't die! You'll be happy again after this chapter, I promise!**

* * *

 **28\. How To Save A Life**

Frexspar was standing in the doorway to their largest guest room, watching his green daughter sit with the Vinkun prince. She was stroking his hair repetitively, softly murmuring to him, although Frex could not hear what she was saying.

She hadn't even changed out of her clothes yet. Her dress was ragged and bloody, her hair fell in limp tangles down her face, and she looked pale – he wondered briefly if a green person could really look pale, but decided then that she definitely did. Once again, his gaze drifted down to the slight swell of her stomach. A baby. Elphaba was having a baby. He was going to be a grandfather.

Feeling his gaze on her, she looked up; and it was like he watched a door close in her eyes. Her expression became unreadable, as it usually was around him. He felt a pang of something at that – of what, he did not know, but it didn't feel pleasant.

He cleared his throat. "Would you like to take a bath?"

She shook her head. "I'm not leaving him."

"His life is no longer in danger, Elphaba."

"Still." There was that stubbornness that had always so annoyed him. "I have to be here when he wakes up. I'm not leaving him alone."

He sighed. "Suit yourself."

He left then and she continued to run her fingers through Fiyero's hair, watching his face for any sign of movement. It felt so surreal to sit here with him, in her old home in Munchkinland, after thinking for so long that he was dead... he wouldn't be now, though. He'd be fine.

When Frex had opened the door to find them on his doorstep, she had genuinely thought he would either slam the door in her face or call the authorities. He'd stood there and gawked at the pair for roughly a minute before finally coming to his senses. With her help, he'd carried Fiyero inside and into the nearest guest room, lowering him onto the bed. Frex had run off to call their family doctor, who had come immediately. Having known the Thropp family his whole life and realising the power Frex held, he'd promised not to breathe a word to anyone about the identity of their patient or about the fact that he, as well as Elphaba, was staying at the governor's mansion. In fact, whilst examining Fiyero, he'd confided in Elphaba that he believed the rumours about her parentage to be true and that he would support her if she were to try to become Oz's new ruler, since he had known her since she was little and he said he trusted she would do well.

For now, however, the doctor tended to Fiyero's wound and stitched him up nicely after that. He'd left some medication and promised to check up on the prince again the following day, but he'd reassured Elphaba that Fiyero should be fine now. His body merely had to recover from the shock of all the blood loss and he would most likely be awake again before the doctor would return the next day.

After the man had left, Elphaba had used a wet cloth to clean the blood off Fiyero and she had gratefully, albeit a bit warily, accepted the nightwear Frex gave her to dress the prince in. She'd been sitting by his bedside ever since, softly talking to him as she waited for him to wake up. She hadn't even slept.

Frex and Nessarose had both come in at some point the next morning, with Frex demanding to hear the whole story, and she'd told them everything. Nessa had been sympathetic, assuring her sister that everything would be all right now, that they would help her, and constantly saying how happy she was to see Elphaba again and how worried she had been about the green girl. Frex had hardly spoken a word at all. When she'd thanked him for letting them in and helping them, he'd merely nodded.

"Fabala?"

Elphaba looked up to find her sister in the doorway and she managed a tired smile. "Hey, Nessie."

She wheeled herself closer, frowning as she studied the dark-haired witch. "You look horrible, Fabala. Why don't you go and wash up a little? You can take a dress of mine..."

Elphaba bit her lip. "I just... I don't want to leave him alone."

"He won't be alone," Nessa assured him. "I'll stay right here until you get back, I promise. It doesn't have to be long, but you really do need to take a bath, Fabala. You're covered in blood."

The green girl looked down, only now really realising her sister was right, and she sighed. "All right, but I won't be long. And you have to stay here. Don't leave him alone."

"Of course not."

Elphaba nodded and with one last look at Fiyero's face, left the room; and Nessarose wheeled herself closer to his bedside to have a good look at him as well.

"You'll have to be okay, you know," she told the unconscious prince. "You're going to be a father now – you can't just walk away from that. Not to mention the fact that my sister needs you. After everything she's already been through, everything she's ever needed in her life and didn't get, don't you think you owe it to her to at least give her this?" She grimaced. "Okay, that's not fair of me, but you know what I mean. You'd just better be all right soon, Fiyero. I don't know what it would do to her if you were to die now." She sighed and took his limp hand in her own. She'd never been particularly close to him, but she knew how much Elphaba loved him. He might even become her brother-in-law one day, if everything somehow worked out...

"Nessa?"

The wheelchair-bound girl was startled from her thoughts by her sister's voice. Elphaba was wearing a dark brown dress of Nessa's now – the youngest Thropp didn't own any black dresses – and she was towelling her wet hair, clearly not having wanted to wait to dry and brush it before coming back here.

"That was a quick bath," Nessa said and Elphaba smiled faintly.

"Yeah, well." She sat down beside the bed again.

Nessa eyed her critically. "It's a good thing you're skinnier than I am," she muttered, "or you wouldn't even have fit in my dress with that baby bump." She reached out for Elphaba's stomach, then stopped herself. "Can I?"

"Sure, although there's not much to feel yet." Elphaba allowed her sister to touch the slight baby bump. "It's just a bump."

"You can't feel him move yet?"

Elphaba looked at Nessa, uncertain. "No. Why? Is that not normal?"

"I'm sure it is, Fabala," the younger girl assured her. "It's not like I know anything about carrying children. Maybe Father would know..." She trailed off and the corner of Elphaba's mouth twitched.

"Maybe."

Nessarose sighed.

"Nessa?"

"Yes?"

Elphaba hesitated, then blurted it out. "Do you think he's going to call the authorities on us? I mean, he didn't want to leave us outside, but now he had a doctor look at Fiyero – maybe he feels like he's done his duty to make sure we stay alive and then he'll turn us in after all..."

"No," said Nessa after thinking about that for a while. "No, I don't think he'll turn you in. I might have thought so before, but he's seemed... different... since you two arrived last night."

Elphaba nodded and Nessa gave her a look. "Fabala, why don't you get some sleep? I know," she said before Elphaba could open her mouth to protest, "I know you don't want to leave him alone, but I'll stay right here with him until you wake up. You look exhausted and it's not good for the baby if you push yourself like this."

"But –"

"Elphaba," Nessarose said sternly. "You don't want to do anything that's bad for your baby, don't you?"

Elphaba stared at her sister for a while. "You..." She shook her head. "Oz, Nessa. You sounded just like Mama just now."

Nessa gasped a little and Elphaba gave her another weary smile. "I remember her using that tone with me. You're a lot like her, I think." Her smile faded and she just looked tired again. "All right. I'll sleep. But the moment something happens, you will come and get me, okay? And I want you to wake me up after two hours even if nothing does happen."

"I will," Nessa promised. "Just take the guest room next to this one and leave the door open – you'll be able to hear me calling if something happens without me having to come get you."

"Okay." Elphaba hesitated for a moment, but then pressed a kiss to Fiyero's forehead and rose to her feet. She really didn't want to be away from him, but she knew she had to take care of herself and her baby and she did need sleep right now.

Nessa picked a book from the bookshelf in the corner of the room and started reading, since there wasn't much she could do until either Fiyero woke up or two hours had passed.

* * *

A soft groan from the bed, about an hour and a half later, was the only thing alerting Nessa to the fact that the prince was waking up. She looked up from her book, startled by the sound, only to find Fiyero's bright blue eyes blinking back at her.

"Am I dead?" was the first thing he asked.

A relieved laugh bubbled up from Nessa's throat. "No," she said, smiling. "You're not dead. You're in Munchkinland – our family home, actually. The governor's mansion."

His eyes widened. "The governor's... but then..." The look on his face turned hopeful. "Nessa, is... is Fae here, too?"

"Oh, Oz, yes!" Nessa exclaimed, horrified at herself. "I promised I would wake her, and here I am chatting with you! Fabala!" she called, louder now.

Elphaba appeared so quickly that Nessarose suspected her sister might not have been asleep at all. "What?" the dark-haired witch asked urgently. "Is something wrong?" Then her gaze fell on Fiyero's face and she gasped. "Fiyero!" She was by his side in a clock-tick. "Oh, sweet Oz, you're awake! Are you okay? How are you feeling?" She quickly wiped some tears from her eyes, forcing herself to calm down a little.

He reached out to touch her cheek. She caught his hand with both her own and a brilliant smile lit up his face. "Fae," he breathed.

"It's me," she confirmed, smiling as well, though those stupid tears kept welling up in her eyes. "It's okay, Yero. You're safe now. Oz, I can't believe you're alive..."

Nessa had discreetly left the room by then, but neither one of them had even noticed. They were too focused on one another after all this time.

"Me?" he said with a small laugh. "I can't believe _you're_ alive!" He grimaced. "Although... how, um... how did I survive?" he asked. "I'd have sworn I was done for when they shot me."

"You almost were," she said softly. "I was around and I heard the shot... I cast that healing spell on you that I used on my ankle earlier. It worked enough to save your life and I brought you here – I didn't know where else to go. Father took us in and had a doctor take care of you, but it was a close call." She gave him a shaky smile and then she suddenly burst into tears.

"Elphaba," Fiyero said gently, carefully scooting a little to the side. "Come here."

She curled up against his side, burying her face in his neck as all the fear, pain, and grief from the past two months came pouring out. Fiyero put his arm around her and simply let her cry, running his fingers through her hair in a calming motion.

When she calmed down a little, he said quietly, "I know you thought I was dead, Fae, and I'm so sorry. I couldn't let you know that I wasn't. I tried to look for you – Glin, Boq, Gazilon, and Swan all helped me – but we couldn't find you anywhere."

She chuckled tearfully. "I hid well – or I tried to, anyway. I've been spotted on my broom quite a few times, but they could never track me down after that. I made sure they never knew where I disappeared off to."

"I know," he said, grinning slightly. "Gazilon – not to mention the rest of the Gale Force – was really frustrated about that."

She sobered. "How, Fiyero?" she asked quietly, keeping her gaze down instead of looking at him. "How did you survive? I was convinced I saw you running into a burning house to save a girl... her mother was beside me, she was hysterical, and then the house suddenly collapsed and there was fire everywhere..." She didn't go on because she didn't want to start crying again. Damned hormones.

Fiyero understood, though, and he shook his head. "That can't have been me," he said. "I was busy trying to find a way out, trying to find you, and trying to dodge the Gale Force at the same time; and at some point I had just inhaled too much smoke and I must have passed out. I don't exactly remember what happened, but I woke up much later with a small group of people who'd managed to escape and rescued me and some others. At some point, someone told me he had seen you got shot. It wasn't until Gazilon saw me and told me Galinda had seen you that I knew you were alive."

"The woman next to me got shot," she said, wincing a little at the memory. "The girl's mother. Not me. He must have seen it wrong – it was dark, of course, and there was fire everywhere."

Fiyero exhaled slowly. "I was so scared, Elphaba, and I'm so happy you're all right." His hand drifted down to lightly touch her swollen stomach. "You are, aren't you? All right? Both of you?"

"We are," she confirmed, closing her eyes and snuggling up against him.

He was quiet for a while. Then he asked, "Fae?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you kill Madame Morrible?"

She stiffened a little, but she couldn't lie to him. "I..." She licked her lips nervously. "Yes. But Yero, I thought you were dead and I just –"

"Hey, you don't have to justify what you did," he assured her. He nuzzled her hair and when he felt how tense she still was, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You know I won't think any differently of you, sweetheart. I understand why you did it. Even if you hadn't thought me to be dead, I'd have understood." He touched her cheek, making her look up at him. "I love you," he said solemnly.

He could see the relief in her eyes, which filled with tears all over again. She sniffled. "I love you, too, Yero. So much."

He smiled and tried to lean in to kiss her, only to realise with a grimace that there was no way he was going to be able to sit up anytime soon. Elphaba just gave him a small smirk and leaned in herself, kissing him softly before curling up against him once more.


	29. Close To You

**No cliffies yet. Instead, there will be some more Frex... because I've written him mean so many times already and I wanted to do something different for a change whilst still keeping it realistic. (And of course there is Fiyeraba, too.)**

* * *

 **29\. Close to You**

When Frexspar entered the room and found his daughter lying on the bed next to the sleeping Vinkun prince, he frowned. "Elphaba."

She jumped, apparently not having heard him come in, and she turned apprehensive dark eyes on him.

"I'd really much rather not have you sleep in one bed with a man," he told her.

Normally, she would have rolled her eyes at him and made a sarcastic remark; but she was very well aware of the precarious position she and Fiyero were in and she was not entirely certain Frex wouldn't call the Gale Force on them if she angered him, so she supposed it would be best to try her hardest to stay in his good graces. Still, his remark was ridiculous – for one, Fiyero was still too weak to sit up, let alone do other things; and she was already pregnant, anyway, so what was the point of sleeping apart?

All she said, however, was, "I'm sorry, Father, but I really just want to stay with him right now." Which was also true.

Was it her imagination, or did Frex soften a little? "I understand, but..."

"Father," said Nessa, who came wheeling into the room after him and had apparently overheard most of the conversation. She sounded amused. "What are you afraid will happen if they sleep in the same bed? Fabala falling pregnant?"

The governor's gaze was drawn to Elphaba's baby bump again and he sighed. "All right. I see your point."

Nessa smiled at him and moved closer to the bed. "How are you feeling?" she asked her sister – quietly, since she noticed that Fiyero was asleep.

"Okay, I suppose. Relieved," the young witch admitted. "Despite what the doctor said, I was worried he might not be okay, but he seems to be doing quite well. So I'm good."

Elphaba yawned and Nessa added teasingly, "And tired, by the looks of it." She studied the green girl and frowned a little. "You still haven't slept, have you?"

"I napped for a bit when you were staying with Fiyero," Elphaba admitted and Nessa tsk'ed.

"You need to get more sleep, Fabala."

"I'm fine."

"Elphaba," Frex said from where he was still lingering near the doorway. "You need your rest and so does your child. The doctor will be here soon to check on the prince once more, but I want you to try and get some sleep after that. You need to stay healthy."

She looked up at him, clearly taken aback, and even Nessarose was surprised. Frex merely nodded curtly at his eldest daughter before leaving the room and Nessa turned her gaze to her sister.

"You know," she said, "I think he does care about you."

Elphaba snorted. "Yeah, right."

"No, really," the younger girl insisted. "He didn't want to talk about you all this time, constantly insisting that you disgraced us, but he's been helping you now. He took you in, made sure Fiyero saw a doctor, and he keeps saying these things that suggest he cares... in his own way. He's never been good at showing affection, especially not towards you, Fabala, but maybe it's there nonetheless."

Their conversation was interrupted by the return of Frex, with the doctor in tow; and Elphaba lightly touched Fiyero's shoulder. "Yero? Wake up, the doctor is here."

He didn't stir and for a moment, she panicked a little; but then she remembered what a heavy sleeper he was and she brushed his hair away from his forehead, gently shaking him a little. "Fiyero?"

"Mmh."

"Wake up. The doctor has to look at your shot wound."

His eyes fluttered open and focused on her face. Blearily, he blinked a few times. "Huh?"

She couldn't help but smirk a little at how incoherent he always was when he just woke up. He'd never been much of a morning person, but sometimes she could swear it had only gotten worse with time. "Doctor," she said slowly, pointing at the man standing behind her. She pointed at his chest. "Shot wound."

He scowled at her. "I'm not an idiot," he muttered, even as she moved aside to give the doctor some room.

She chuckled. "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that."

She was not faint-hearted at all, but when the doctor unwrapped the bandage from around Fiyero's chest, revealing the ugly shot wound beneath, she had to look away. The bullet had penetrated his lung and left his body through his back. If it hadn't been for her healing spell, he wouldn't have survived at all; as it was, her spell had managed to heal most of the damage the bullet had done on the inside and the doctor mainly concerned himself with Fiyero's stitches and keeping the wound clean.

The examination was done quickly and the doctor declared that Fiyero seemed to be healing well. "If there are any complications, don't hesitate to call for me right away," he told the Thropp family, "but it looks like he'll be just fine. He will need to rest for another while, though." He gave them some medication for Fiyero to take that would help with the pain and the healing process and then glanced at Elphaba. "Do you want me to have a look at you, too?"

"Why?" she asked, genuinely confused, and he nodded at her baby bump.

She felt sheepish. "Oh. Right. Um, sure. Why not?"

Frex insisted they use her own bedroom for that and she rolled her eyes but complied, leading the doctor there and allowing him to check her over. She watched a little anxiously as he listened to her baby's heartbeat and prodded her stomach. "Well?"

He glanced at her face and smiled reassuringly when he saw the worried look in her eyes. "Your baby seems to be perfectly fine, Miss Elphaba. You're about twenty-five weeks along, right?"

"Right," she agreed and he nodded.

"Have you felt any movements yet?"

"Not really," she said. "I don't think so, anyway. Is that normal? I was talking about it to Nessa the other day, but she wasn't sure if it was normal, either, and –"

"It's normal, Miss Elphaba," the doctor assured her. "Don't worry. I hear a strong heartbeat. It's possible that you don't feel anything yet, but it's also possible that you _have_ been feeling your baby move, but you just didn't realise it." He looked at her. "Many women who are pregnant for the first time confuse their baby's movements with normal intestinal rumblings. Most women describe the feeling as a fluttery or tumbling sensation."

She thought about that. "Maybe. I wouldn't really know," she confessed. She hadn't paid that much attention to her pregnancy at all the past few weeks. "I've been a little busy with, um, other things... lately."

"Oh, of course." The doctor nodded. "I know. Or, well, I suppose I can guess. Just know that there is no need to worry. If you do want to feel your baby move, I suggest you try to pay attention to him during a quiet moment sometime – I'm almost positive you should be able to feel him – or her, of course. In fact, judging by his size now and from what I felt during your examination, it shouldn't be long before you could feel him move from the outside, too."

She thanked him and they returned to the guest room where the others were waiting. Frex, Nessa, and Fiyero all gave her a questioning look when she came in and she said, "Everything's fine."

Frex nodded briskly. "Good. I'll let you out," he said to the doctor and both men left the room.

Nessa merely glared pointedly at Elphaba. "Now _sleep_ , Fabala," she ordered before wheeling herself out of the room as well.

Elphaba climbed onto the bed next to Fiyero again and he looked at her worriedly. "Is everything really fine?"

"Yes," she said. She lay down on her back and placed both her hands on her stomach, trying to concentrate on the baby.

He watched her for a while. "Fae?"

"Mmh?"

"Why don't I believe you?"

She turned her head to look at him. "What?"

"You're acting strange," he stated. "What did the doctor say?"

"I'm not acting strange. I'm trying to feel the baby move. The doctor said I should be able to." She focused on her stomach again, wondering what exactly she was supposed to feel and when. How often did a baby move in the womb, anyway? For all she knew, he was asleep right now and wouldn't move at all for a few more hours.

Fiyero's hand slid down her arm to where her own hand was resting. "Could I feel it, too?"

"I'm not sure," she confessed. "I don't even know what to look for myself."

They waited for a while and then Elphaba suddenly gasped.

"What?" Fiyero asked instantly. "Did you feel something?"

She nodded, unable to speak. It was strange, really – a fluttery sensation, like the doctor had said it would be, but stronger than she had expected. Now that she knew what it was, she realised she had actually felt this before, but she had indeed either not really noticed it or thought it to be something else. She'd been so focused on other things, flying around on her broom most of the time, that she hadn't been paying attention at all to what her body was telling her, but she felt it now and it was amazing.

"Where?" the prince asked and she guided his hand to the spot.

"I'm not sure if you can feel it," she said.

He kept his hand on the spot for a while, but shook his head, disappointed. "I don't feel anything."

"You will soon." She heaved a sigh and laid her head against his shoulder. There were a thousand things she wanted to talk to him about, but he was still hurt and he needed his rest, like the doctor had said. There would be time to talk later. "You should sleep. I'll go back to sleep in the other –"

"Stay," he interrupted her. His grip on her tightened. "Please."

She huffed, pretending to be annoyed, even though she was actually relieved. She hated leaving him, even though his life was no longer in danger and she would only be a room away. "Fine, then I'll just go to sleep right here."

He smiled, nuzzling her hair and inhaling the scent of it. It smelt like the almond and vanilla shampoo he knew she had always used back at Shiz – when they were a couple and she sometimes stayed over in his room, she'd left a bottle of it behind in his bathroom. He remembered sniffing it a few times when he was unable to sleep and he missed her, pathetic as that was. It seemed strange that the smell reminded him of Shiz, of happier times with her, and yet here it was in the middle of this crazy time in their lives. A lot of things felt like that these days – strange in their familiarity. It was like their lives had been divided in two, before and after the attack on the Wizard, and things from before just didn't seem to fall into place in the after. Things like Elphaba's almond and vanilla shampoo... and her father.

"Fae?" he whispered. "Why is your father helping us?"

She made an odd sound in her throat. "Honestly? I haven't got the faintest clue. Nessa seems to think he does care about me and he wants to somehow make it up to me, but I don't think so. I think he might be doing it to placate Nessa – she told me they've grown apart in the time I was gone because he hated talking about me. Or maybe he was afraid of leaving us on his doorstep and having the neighbours talk." She snorted softly. "Or maybe he really doesn't want to help us, but he can't bring himself to turn us in, either. He's not heartless, I know that. He's always loved Nessa and he's a good person, deep down inside – he's not _cruel_. He just... never saw past my skin."

"That's not "just"," he corrected her sharply. "How can you say that? How can you say he's a good person when he's treated you the way he has all your life?"

She shrugged listlessly. "I deserved it."

He was getting worked up now and he tried to push himself into a sitting position, fuming. "Elphaba, you know I do not –" He cut himself off with a gasp of pain and she was hovering over him in an instant, worry clouding her dark brown eyes.

"You're not supposed to sit up," she scolded him, helping him lie back down. "For Oz's sake, Fiyero, just be careful and take your time to heal!"

"Only if you stop saying such things!" he said hotly, although the effect was ruined a little by the fact that he was still wheezing a little because of the pain in his chest. "No-one deserves to be treated that way by her own father and certainly not you! You did nothing wrong! You didn't choose to be born the way you were and even if you did, he should have loved you regardless, because that is what parents do!"

"He's not even my real father." She lay back down and turned her back towards him. "I wonder if he knows about that... I wonder if maybe, deep down, he's always known. Maybe my skin – or what happened to Mama and Nessa – wasn't the only reason he treated me the way he did. Maybe he's always sensed that something was off about me... that I'm not his."

"Maybe." Fiyero shook his head. "But even then, he shouldn't have taken it out on you. Stop making excuses for him, Fae. There is nothing that can justify what he has done to you."

She didn't say anything and he sighed, reaching for her. "Fae, come here."

"I'm right here."

"I want to see your face."

She turned around and he drew her closer, holding her as best he could without jostling the stitches in his chest. "I hate the fact that you still feel guilty for so many things that weren't your fault," he murmured, resting his chin on the top of her head as she pressed her cheek against his chest – as far away from his shot wound as possible. "Honestly, I mostly hate the fact that I don't seem to be able to make you see that those things in fact weren't your fault. I could tell you a thousand times that Frex was wrong for treating you the way he did, that the milk flowers killed your mother and crippled Nessa and not you, or that it was my own choice to come with you that day in the City; but it's not making much of a difference, is it?"

She heaved a shaky sigh. "I don't know. It's just that... all my life I've believed that everything bad that happened was my fault – because I did something wrong or just because I was born at all, because I'm cursed..." She trailed off. She could hear his heartbeat speed up; even if she couldn't, she would have known it upset him when she said such things. It always did. To her, however, this was the truth. "Everyone always told me that," she said softly. "It's what I've always thought to be the truth. And I love that you're trying to change that, Yero, I really do, but it's not so easy to erase twenty years of blaming, bullying, and name-calling by pretty much everyone around me."

He stroked her cheek, resting his own cheek against her hair. "Then I guess I'll just have to spend the next twenty years trying to convince you," he whispered. He smiled a little. "Or thirty, or forty, or fifty..."

That made her smile the tiniest bit, too, and he closed his eyes. "I'll gladly spend the rest of my life doing just that, Fae. You know that, right?"

"I know," she whispered, because she did. Despite the fact that there were still many things she didn't believe when he told her, she did by now believe that he loved her. She didn't understand it, she didn't know how it was possible, and she was at times still afraid that he would come to his senses and leave her; but she did believe that he loved her and that was a lot more than she could have said a few years ago.

* * *

 **Also, I just want to say thank you to everyone who has nominated and/or voted for me and/or my stories in the Greg Awards! I really, really appreciated and it makes me really, really happy ^_^. If you haven't voted already, go and do so - for me or for one of the other amazing authors and/or stories on here! Fae'sFlower is hosting this year.**


	30. A Father's Love

***gasps* It's another cliffyless chapter! Am I losing my touch? No, my faithful readers, don't worry - I'll remedy the situation soon enough. *cackles***

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 **30\. A Father's Love**

"Fae?"

She heaved an irritable sigh. "Fiyero, how many times do I have to tell you that you need to sleep? For Oz's sake, you idiot, you were _shot_ yesterday!"

She could hear the grin in his voice when he said in a whiny voice, "But I can't sleep."

She grumbled and he pushed on. "Do you ever worry about the future?"

"No," she deadpanned. "Never. You know me better than that."

"Is it me or has your sarcasm gotten worse in the past two months?"

She smirked. "Isn't it always you?"

He tickled her sides, making her gasp and squirm. "You know, you've grown to be rather annoying during our time apart. Maybe I should remedy that." He gave her a wicked grin. "And you can't even punish me for it, because I'm still recovering."

"That's not fair," she gasped, inching away from him. He stopped tickling and pulled her back towards him.

She sighed. "I _have_ changed, you know. During our time apart, I mean."

"I know." He sobered. He ran his hand over her hair and met her gaze. "But I don't care. All that matters is that you made it, Fae. We both did. I know it must have been hard for you, but I'm so proud of you for pulling through – especially after everything you've already been through in your life."

"I had to," she said simply. "It was horrible, but I had to do it. For you, and for… for our baby. I knew you wouldn't want me to give up."

He pressed a kiss to her temple. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too." She gently poked his side. "Now sleep."

He still couldn't sleep, though. He kept thinking about what her time alone must have been like, thinking he was dead – he'd only thought her to be dead for a couple of days and that had been terrible enough. He couldn't even imagine making it through two months believing he would never see her again. He also worried about what would happen next, with their life on the run, Elphaba's parentage, and the baby…

"Fae?"

She didn't reply and he sniggered softly. "Oh, come on. I know I need to sleep, but I just can't. You don't have to ignore me."

She still didn't say anything and he shifted a little to be able to look at her face. "Elphaba?" He then realised that she had actually already fallen asleep and he smiled, holding her close again as he tried once more to get some sleep himself. They could talk later.

When Fiyero woke up again, Elphaba was gone.

He wasn't worried right away. He called her name, thinking she might be in the bathroom or changing clothes in the other guest room; but when she didn't reply, he did start to feel a little apprehensive. Of course he couldn't get out of bed to look for her, so he was stuck waiting anxiously until someone came into the room.

That someone turned out to be Frex, but Fiyero didn't even care so much – he was glad to see anyone at all. He instantly burst out, "Where is Elphaba? Is she okay?"

Frex seemed surprised at that. "She's fine," he said. "She flew off on that broomstick of hers to fetch some Animals, I think she said… something about them not having anyone else. She said she'd be back soon."

"When was that?" Fiyero demanded.

The older man shrugged. "A few hours ago?"

"Hours?!" Fiyero struggled to sit up, but had to stay down eventually because of the pain. "Governor Thropp, there's Gale Force everywhere!" he tried desperately. "She should have been back by now!"

"Elphaba can take care of herself," said Frex dismissively and the prince exploded.

"Can she?" he shouted. "How would you know? The only reason she can take care of herself now is because you never did take care of her! She did everything by herself, her whole life long, because you were too small-minded to see past the colour of her skin!"

Frex reddened visibly. "You –" he began angrily, but Fiyero cut him off.

"If something happened to her, would you even care?" he asked, a biting undertone in his voice. "Or would you just be glad to be rid of her? Tell me, Governor Thropp – why didn't you turn us in right away?"

"Because she's my daughter!" Frex yelled. "What kind of man would turn his own daughter in to be taken captive?"

"The same kind of man who would treat his daughter like nothing more than a servant," Fiyero spat.

Nessarose interrupted them both by wheeling herself into the room and saying sharply, "Fiyero!"

"What?" the prince sneered. "It's true, isn't it?"

"It is," Frex admitted calmly, much to both Fiyero and Nessa's surprise. "I did treat her like a servant and you're right – I never could see past her skin. Not like her mother could." There was a wistful look on his face now. "Melena loved her from the moment she first laid eyes on her," he said softly. "But I… I just couldn't. I think I could have learned to love her if it weren't for what happened when Nessarose was born. I know it wasn't fair of me to blame her for that, but I did. Don't you think I know that?" he hissed at Fiyero. "Don't you think I realise my mistakes?"

Fiyero scoffed. "Honestly, since you never reached out to her or tried anything whatsoever to make it right again… no. No, I didn't think you realised your mistakes."

"Well, I do." Frex straightened, his eyes shooting fire. "And you are in no position to lecture me, Master Fiyero. This is none of your business."

"It became my business the moment I fell in love with the daughter you mistreated!"

"Fiyero, please," Nessa said quietly. "He said he was sorry."

"Did he?" Fiyero snarled. "Funny, because I didn't hear him say that."

Frex looked like he was fuming, but he didn't walk away like Fiyero expected him to. Instead, he met the prince's gaze and forced out between gritted teeth, "Fine. I'm sorry. Okay?"

Fiyero gave him a long look. "It's not me you should be apologising to, though."

Now Frex did turn and leave the room. Fiyero sighed and Nessa shook her head at him.

"You shouldn't have said that," she said. "He could still change his mind about letting you stay here, you know."

Fiyero snorted. "That would just prove my point."

"It would also most likely end with you and Elphaba in a prison cell," Nessarose said pointedly. "Honestly, sometimes you're just as stubborn and hot-headed as Fabala can be. I know you hate the way he treated her. I do, too. But you have to be careful."

He sighed. He knew she was right, of course; it was just so frustrating.

"Get some rest," Nessa advised him. "She'll be back soon."

He didn't sleep, of course – he was way too worried about Elphaba. When she finally came into the room, he sat up so quickly that he gasped when a stab of pain shot through his chest.

"Idiot," she scolded him, helping him lie back down. "How hard is it to stay down? Do you like being in pain?"

"Look who's talking," he wheezed and she gave him a grin.

"Fiyero!" Bob and Noah exclaimed in unison and they leapt onto the bed. Bob was about to jump onto Fiyero's chest, but Elphaba snatched him away just in time.

"Careful! He's been shot!"

"Oh!" Bob gaped at the prince. "He was shot! Wow! Was it Gale Force? Did you almost die? Did it hurt? Was it awesome?"

"Of course it wasn't awesome," Noah said with a little contemptuous sniff. "He got hurt!"

"Yero, you remember Brownie," Elphaba said, gesturing at the Bunny in her arms. She placed him on the bed as well and he hopped over to Fiyero's face.

"Hello," said Fiyero, smiling at all the young Animals surrounding him, but mostly at the look on Elphaba's face. Like this, interacting with these Animals, he could just see her as a mother and he knew she would be great at it. "It's good to see you guys again."

"It's good to see you, too, Master Fiyero," they chorused.

He looked at Elphaba. "You went to fetch them from the hide-out?"

"I had to," she said quietly. "They don't have anyone else to take care of them. I know the people – and Animals – there would have looked after them, but it didn't feel right... I couldn't leave them there by themselves, especially not without an explanation from me."

He smiled at her. That was one of the things he loved most about her – her big heart and the way she always thought about others. She was always considerate, compassionate, and caring, no matter the circumstances. He hadn't thought it possible, but he kept finding himself falling more and more in love with her – even if it did give him premature wrinkles because she made him worry about her so much.

"Kids," she said to the three fluff balls now, "why don't you go and find my sister, Nessarose? Fiyero needs to rest and I want to talk to him for a little bit, okay?"

"Okay," said Brownie, hopping off the bed. Fiyero watched as they all left the room and Elphaba sat down on the edge of his bed, looking at him.

"How are you feeling?"

"You mean aside from worried sick because I woke up to Frex telling me you'd been gone for hours?" he shot back and she flinched.

"I'm sorry," she said and he could read the sincerity in her eyes. "I meant to be back before you woke up, but there was some Gale Force below and I had to hide for a while with the little ones. I couldn't leave them there, Yero."

He softened, seeing how genuinely guilty she felt. "It's okay. I understand." He sighed. "I was just worried."

"I should have realised. I'd have worried about you, too, especially after..." She swallowed. "Well, after what happened."

He held out his arm and she took the invitation gratefully, moving closer to him and leaning down to kiss him gently. He held her close, his fingers playing with her long, raven hair as he deepened the kiss, making her sigh happily. They kissed for a long time, until they were finally interrupted by someone loudly clearing his throat and they leapt apart to find Frex standing there.

"I, um... I just wanted to let you know that lunch is ready," he said, obviously uncomfortable and a little disapproving. "Are you coming down to eat with us, Elphaba, or do you want to stay here?"

"I'd like to stay," she said and her father nodded.

"I'll have meals brought up for the both of you, then," he said. He lingered awkwardly for a moment before leaving the room.

"Well, that was awkward," said Elphaba, heaving a sigh as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. "Although at least I suppose Nessa is right and he is trying, in a way."

Fiyero shifted. "I fought with him," he admitted. "While you were gone."

Elphaba was startled. "What?"

He told her about the argument he'd had with Frex, about the governor not caring about his eldest daughter; and when he finished, she shook her head.

"Oz, Fiyero, you shouldn't have," she said with a sigh. "Nessa is right – he could still kick us both out or turn us in, and where would we be then?"

He looked down, crestfallen and a little ashamed of himself; but she tipped his chin back up and kissed him softly, lingeringly, on the lips.

"But thank you for standing up for me," she murmured and he could read the genuine gratefulness for that in her eyes. "Not many people have, as you know... it does mean a lot to me." She smiled, running her fingers through his hair absent-mindedly. "And if he really said that... then maybe I should try to give him a chance. He's definitely made mistakes in the past, but perhaps he's trying to make up for those mistakes now, in his own way, and I should let him. It'd be nice to have a relationship with my father... any kind of relationship. With either father. Especially now that the Wizard is gone."

Fiyero squeezed her hand comfortingly. "Who knows? You might just get that. And otherwise you're more than welcome to borrow my father," he added teasingly, which made her chuckle.

Fiyero fell asleep not long thereafter and when Frex returned with some food for both of them, he found his daughter sitting on the bed beside the prince and watching him sleep. Frexspar placed the tray on the desk in the corner of the room and hesitated for a moment. "Elphaba?"

"Yes?"

He took a breath. "I, um... I could not help but overhear... some of your conversations... when I was walking through the hallway."

She wasn't fooled. "You were eavesdropping on us?!" she demanded furiously before remembering her own advice to Fiyero about laying low when it came to her father. She bit her lip. "Um, I'm sorry..."

"Don't," Frex said tiredly, raising one hand to stop her. "Please. Elphaba, I'm not going to kick you out and I'm definitely not going to turn you in, no matter what you say to me."

She looked at him cautiously. "Really?"

The fact that she had to ask only made it worse. Had he really been that horrible towards his eldest daughter? Had he been so mean to her that she honestly thought he was going to hand her over to the Gale Force and have her imprisoned – her, pregnant and all, and her severely injured boyfriend?

"Elphaba," he said. "I don't hate you."

She looked up again and he met her surprised gaze. She was genuinely surprised, he realised with a start. "Is that what you have been thinking all this time?"

"Why wouldn't I?" she asked reasonably. "You've certainly always acted like you hated me. You blamed me for Mama and Nessa, you made it clear how you felt about my skin, and Nessa told me you didn't even want to talk about me in the past months because you felt like I disgraced you when I really didn't even do anything..."

He sank down into a chair, thinking about her words. "I know," he said, choosing his words carefully, "that I haven't always treated you fairly, Elphaba. I had this conversation with your sister and your boyfriend earlier," he added and she nodded.

"I know. He told me."

Of course he did. "Then you should know that I did not consciously make the decision to do so," he continued. "It just... happened. And I suppose I am sorry for that."

She raised an eyebrow. "You suppose?"

"Fine," he snapped. "I apologise for the way I've treated you."

She regarded him for a long time, unreadable dark eyes taking him in, before nodding slowly. "Thank you."

They were quiet for a while. Then he asked softly, "It's true, isn't it?" When she gave him a questioning look, he clarified, "About the Wizard of Oz being your father."

Understanding dawned on her and she looked away. "Yes," she said. "It's true." She looked back at him. "Did you know?"

He sighed. "Not consciously," he said. "I think, though, deep down... I knew your mother used to be lonely, especially in the beginning of our marriage, when I was away from home a lot. Our marriage was arranged and sometimes I wonder if she ever really did love me... I know I certainly did love her," he admitted candidly. "She confessed to me what she'd done, that she hadn't been faithful, not long after it happened. She was crying, asking me to forgive her, and of course I did; but she mentioned something about this stranger bringing her a green elixir and when you were born with your skin colour, I couldn't help but think..." He trailed off, but she didn't need him to go on.

"That's what caused my green skin," she whispered, finally understanding. "The elixir she had... the elixir the Wizard gave her."

Frex nodded. "I think so. And that is why I couldn't love you," he said bluntly. "Don't get me wrong – I did see your skin as a disgrace." He saw her flinch and he apologised, "I'm sorry, but it's true. I couldn't look past it, at least not the way your mother could. Because I thought it was strange, but also because I kept thinking that maybe... maybe it was proof that you weren't even really mine."

"And then Nessa was born and Mama died, and that sealed your hatred for me," Elphaba concluded.

"Not hatred," Frex corrected her, but he looked miserable. "But... yes. I shouldn't have blamed it on you. I didn't decide to consciously blame it on you, but a part of me did... because it was easier to blame you than it was to blame myself."

She nodded slowly, still watching him. He abruptly rose to his feet. "You should eat," he said. "Keep your strength up, for the baby and for... for your boyfriend. I'll come back to check on you later." He had already reached the door when he stopped and added, "I promise I won't let anyone know you're here, Elphaba, and you two can stay for as long as you wish."

"Thank you," she said softly and he nodded curtly before leaving the room.

She leaned back against the headboard of the bed, feeling stunned. She closed her eyes for a moment, then looked at Fiyero and slowly ran her fingers through his hair again. She placed one hand on her stomach. "Can you believe it, baby?" she whispered. "I know I can't." She had a lot to think about.

* * *

 **One more thing. I'm not revealing the Fiyeraba baby gender yet, but I need baby names! Throw any names you want at me, for both genders. After that, I'll put a poll on my profile and you can vote for your favourite baby boy and girl names :).**


	31. Too Good To Be True

**Your reviews were all lovely - thank you so much once again! Special thanks to Fermataoso for catching up and reviewing every single chapter!**

 **Luna the Zekrom: I'm glad you like the many characters and all the OCs, even though I sometimes have a hard time keeping track of them myself, haha!**

* * *

 **31\. Too Good To Be True**

"What would you do if the baby is green?"

Fiyero, who was sitting up and eating a bowl of soup, heaved a deep sigh and reached over to place the bowl on the nightstand. "I was wondering how long it would take you to ask me that question."

She chuckled a little. "Yes, well, I've had other things on my mind lately," she said. "So here it is."

"I think you know the answer to that one, sweetheart."

She looked at him. "You wouldn't care?"

"Of course not," he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Fae, I fell in love with you and I think you're the most beautiful girl ever to walk this world. Why would I care if our child was green if I don't care that _you_ are green? He or she would be beautiful regardless. I don't care any more about our baby's skin colour than I do about its hair colour or gender."

"And you don't care about his hair colour or gender, either, right?" she asked him worriedly, which made him grin and kiss her again.

"I love you so much, Fae," he mumbled against her lips. "And no matter what our baby looks like, I'm going to love him or her, too, and I'm going to think he is the most beautiful person in the world... right behind his lovely and wonderful mother."

She sighed, pretending to be irritable, even though she was secretly relieved. "You're such a sap," she teased and he chuckled again.

"I know. That's why you love me." He picked up his soup again and continued eating. "Are _you_ worried the baby will be green?"

"Of course," she said, as he had known she would. "Not because I'd love him any less for it," she hastened to explain. "Just because... his life would be so much easier if he wasn't green." She sighed. "And his life might be hard enough already, especially if we're still on the run by the time he's born..."

"Hey." Fiyero squeezed her hand. "We'll be fine, Fae. Really. Our friends are still working on clearing your name, remember?"

"I remember. Actually," she extracted herself from his arms and moved over to the desk, rummaging around inside a drawer and pulling out an envelope, "I got a letter from Galinda the other day in which she told me that Gazilon convinced Lanae, who is doing an internship at _The_ _Ozian_ , to print an article about it in there." She showed him both the letter and the article, which Galinda had sent to them as well.

They had talked quite a lot about their friends and Fiyero had finally managed to convince Elphaba that they wanted to help and that she should let them. She had written to Galinda to tell her blonde friend where she and Fiyero were and everything that had happened, and the blonde had made her promise to keep her updated on any news. Since Fiyero was still on bed rest and Elphaba hardly ever left his side, there was not much news for them to tell, but they received a lot of news from Galinda – especially since the blonde was still in touch with Gazilon and Swan in the City and they, in turn, sometimes talked to Cohvu. Between all their friends, they received a lot of information about the situation in the City.

An investigation was currently going on, led by Fiyero's father, to try and discover what really happened that day in the throne room. Fiyero had told Elphaba about their plan with the Sorceress of the South and according to Galinda's latest letter, more and more people were starting to become convinced of their story – that Elphaba was the Wizard's daughter and Morrible had tried to frame her out of jealousy. Without proof, however, the government officials would not be persuaded and so the Gale Force was still out looking for both of them. Galinda had told them that the Sorceress of the South was on her way to the City from Quadling Country and that everyone hoped she could magically provide proof for one story or the other. All province leaders were going to be present for this; Frexspar had left for the Emerald City that very morning to attend.

Elphaba was a little nervous about him leaving, because what if a staff member discovered them here in the house and would turn them in? Nessa, however, had assured her that the staff had been informed by Frex to not come upstairs for a while. Neither sister knew what excuse Frex had given the staff, but Elphaba hadn't seen anyone but her sister and father since she came here, so she supposed it must have been a good excuse. She just hoped they would remain safe here, at least until Fiyero was fully healed.

Fiyero waved the letter at her. "You know? This could actually work. Especially if the Sorceress of the South can somehow bring back the conversation between you and the Wizard, thus proving who you really are!"

"Don't get too optimistic yet," she warned him. "It's a long shot, anyway, and even if it does work, it's no guarantee the people will accept me as their princess. I'm not even sure I _want_ to be their princess."

"We can think about that when we get to it," Fiyero assured her. "The most important thing is that your story gets out, Fae, and your name will be cleared. And mine, too," he added as an afterthought, which made her chuckle slightly. "Between the article in _The Ozian_ and all the rumours flying around, most Ozians are confused right now about what to believe. With proof, we'll definitely be fine."

"And what if she can't prove it?" Elphaba asked logically.

"Then we'll go from there," Fiyero told her firmly, his hand drifting to the swell of her stomach and lightly rubbing circles there. "No matter what life throws at us, Fae, we can take it. Together. Just the two – and soon three – of us."

She sighed, obviously not convinced, and he changed the subject.

"I noticed you keep calling the baby "he"," he said, nuzzling her hair. "Did you have some kind of vision or something?"

She had to smile a little at that. "No. It's not even a feeling," she admitted. "I mostly just call him "he" because it's more convenient than constantly saying "he or she". You really wouldn't care? Don't you have a preference either way?"

He thought about that for a while. "No," he said truthfully. "I can see us having a little girl, a beautiful princess who'd just look like you... but I could also see us having a little prince, with my hair and your eyes, dancing through life..."

She shuddered. "Hopefully not that."

He nudged her playfully. "It's not so bad, you know."

She made a face at him and he laughed. "Do you have a preference?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I just hope he's healthy... and not green."

He grew serious. "Fae..."

"It'd be so much easier for him, Yero, you can't deny that."

"No," he said, heaving a deep sigh. "I suppose I can't. I just need you to know, Fae... I'm not your father. Okay? I said I would love our baby regardless of its skin colour and I meant it. You do know that, don't you?"

"I do," she said, smiling softly at him before leaning down to kiss him. "But I guess I just need to hear it from you every now and then."

He kissed her back, tangling his fingers in her hair with his other hand still on her baby bump. Suddenly, he frowned and she looked at him worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"Are you feeling all right?" he asked instead of answering her.

She was utterly confused. "I'm fine. The baby is just…" She trailed off and her eyes widened when she realised what she had been about to say. "Can you feel him move?"

Fiyero stilled, concentrating on the feeling beneath his fingers. He'd thought something was wrong at first, but now he realised she was right – what he felt must be the baby kicking her stomach from the inside. "Sweet Oz," he breathed, completely in awe. "I can feel him move!"

Tears sprang to Elphaba's eyes and she tried to wipe them away, cursing all the while. "I _hate_ hormones!" Fiyero just chuckled and pulled her closer again, his hand still splayed against her stomach so that he could feel the small movements of the baby inside of her. It was a strange feeling, really. Until now, it hadn't felt completely real, but he was just realising that there was actually a _person_ growing inside of his hopefully-soon-to-be-wife – a person they had created together… that was pretty amazing.

"Hey, mini-Fae," he whispered to her stomach, which made her sigh deeply and roll her eyes at him, but he ignored that. "Can we call her Fae if it's a girl?" he asked Elphaba, whose only response was to roll her eyes again.

He pouted. "Fine."

They discussed baby names for a while longer, but didn't really get anywhere. That was okay, though – they mainly just enjoyed being together and doing something normal. They both fell asleep again after a while. They spent a lot of the time sleeping these days – Fiyero because he still wasn't fully healed from his injury, although he was definitely getting better, and Elphaba because her pregnancy caused her to tire more and more easily these days.

It was on the third day after Frexspar had left for the City that Nessa came wheeling into the room, her eyes wide and her face pale.

"Fabala," she said, her voice shaking; and at the alarmed tone in her sister's voice, Elphaba looked up from where she had been reading a new letter from Galinda in the window sill. Fiyero was fast asleep in the bed and she hadn't wanted to wake him.

"What is it, Nessa?" she asked, concerned; and Nessa took a deep breath. She looked like she was about to faint.

"There's a Gale Force officer downstairs," she whispered and Elphaba paled visibly. "He… he wants to search the house. I don't think he knows you're here – he said he just wanted to check, since we're your family and he suspected you might have returned here... they came to check our house in the beginning, too, after you'd just left. We didn't think they'd be back. I'm sorry." She looked near tears. "I managed to stall him for a while – I sent a maid into the hallway to tell him I was not decent and he will wait for a few minutes, but you have to get out of here. Both of you."

Elphaba instantly sprang into action, pulling the bag she had used before from underneath the bed and starting to throw things into it – clothes, blankets, a first aid kit, Galinda's letters. "Nessie," she commanded whilst packing, "go downstairs, offer him tea, and talk to him. Delay him for a while longer. By the time you two come up here, we'll be gone and there will be no trace of us."

Nessa nodded faintly. "Will you come back?"

"Not anytime soon." Elphaba closed the bag and looked around the room for her broom, which she located in the corner, leaning against the wall. She strode over to it. "They're going to keep an eye on the house. It wouldn't be safe for us to come back within the next few weeks." She stopped. "Wait. What about Brownie? Bob and Noah?"

"Can you take them with you?" Nessa asked and Elphaba hesitated.

"I could try. I _should_ try."

Nessa nodded quickly and left, returning soon with the three young Animals. Elphaba quickly explained the situation to them and Brownie hopped into her bag, snuggling up between her clothes. Bob and Noah would ride in front of her on the broom – she hoped it would be able to hold the three of them plus Fiyero, but she was quite certain it would, at least for a little while.

"We might come back at some point," Elphaba said, still scurrying around the room covering traces of her and Fiyero's stay here, "but not in the near future. You'll be good, won't you, Nessa? Tell Father what happened. We'll find someplace safe."

Nessa's lower lip was trembling. "Fabala…"

Elphaba turned to her and when she saw her little sister's face, she bent down to hug her tightly. "I love you, Nessie. Thank you for everything and… and thank Father too, for us." She let go and moved over to the bed, intending to wake Fiyero. When she saw Nessa was still frozen in the doorway, she said a little sharper than she had intended, "Go, Nessa!", and the wheelchair-bound girl nodded and left the room.

"Yero," she urged the prince, shaking him a little. "Fiyero, wake up. Right now. We don't have time."

"What?" he mumbled, still half-asleep, but she ignored him.

"Can you sit up?"

"I've been sitting up for days already," he muttered drowsily, but he allowed her to drag him into a sitting position.

"Fiyero!" she snapped, seeing his eyes were about to close again. "I need you to stay awake and focus! The Gale Force is here!"

That got his attention. "What?" he asked, suddenly a lot less sleepy; but she shook her head.

"There's no time," she said. She opened the window, swung the bag over her shoulder, and climbed onto her broom. Bob and Noah quickly settled in front of her and she looked over her shoulder. "Get on behind me. And make sure the bed looks neat – they can't know anyone slept in it."

Fiyero obediently smoothed out the sheets and then carefully climbed on behind the green girl, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I'll try to be careful," she promised him, "but you have to hold on tightly, okay?" When he nodded, she looked back ahead and kicked off, steering the broom away from the governor's mansion and towards the forest. They'd be safe there until it got dark; after that, they were going to have to find a new place to hide.

* * *

 **Does this count as a cliffy? Next chapter's cliffy will be way worse, I promise. *cackles***

 **Baby name score so far:**

 **Girls: Taylie, Arikka, Jollie, Astrid, Audrey, Ebony, Emma**

 **Boys: Huri, Tol, Meco, Garreth, Magnar**

 **If you want to offer any more baby names, send them to me in a review and I'll put them in the poll! (I'll put up the poll together with my next update, hopefully in two days' time.)**


	32. Queen of the Vinkus

**Bunny: I've posted two Christmas/snow drabbles and a one-shot! I'm not doing a multichap this year, but look out for more drabbles and one-shots with a wintry theme :).**

* * *

 **32\. Queen of the Vinkus**

"Where do we go now?"

Elphaba was pacing. Up and down, back and forth, wearing a ditch in the forest floor. Fiyero could only watch her from where he was propped up against a tree. He'd tried to talk to her a few times, but she didn't listen; and he knew her well enough by now to realise that she needed to rant and vent first before she'd listen to any of his suggestions.

"Oz, I hope Nessie will be okay," she whispered, wrapping her arms around her own waist. "What if they discover something? We did cover all our traces, didn't we? Would they arrest her? What about my father? And what about us? I suppose we could go back to the Animal hide-out, but…"

"What about Galinda?" Brownie asked. "Wouldn't she help?"

Elphaba hesitated. "She would, but I don't want to endanger her and… oh, sweet Oz, there has to be _somewhere_ we can go! We need a safe place, with heat and food and preferably medical attention, because Fiyero still isn't fully healed and his wound could still get infected and –"

"Elphaba!" Fiyero cut her off, exasperated; and she stopped pacing for a moment to look at him.

"We'll go to the Vinkus," he said.

She stared at him. "What?"

"The Vinkus," he repeated. "My parents will help us."

She kept on staring. "Are you insane?"

"Fae, they know all about you," he reminded her. "My father is helping you already – he's in the City right now trying to clear your name, remember? Mum will still be at Adurin Iir, though, and she won't turn us in, I promise."

Still she hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," he said confidently and she sighed.

"All right," she agreed. "I just hope the broom can carry us all the way there… all five of us. Luckily the young ones don't weigh much." She looked up at the sky. "We'll leave at nightfall."

They did, all five of them perched on the small broomstick like before. It was a shaky ride. Fiyero was still weak, even though he didn't want to admit it, and he was leaning heavily against Elphaba's back; but whenever she asked him if he was okay, he assured her that he was just fine. Brownie stayed in the bag and was quiet most of the time, as was Noah, but Bob loved the flying and kept moving around, trying to see Oz below him from every possible angle, until Elphaba snapped at him. She instantly regretted it at the look in his eyes and apologised, but he did stay still after that.

They reached the castle not long thereafter and Fiyero told her to stay put in the room they had flown into while he went to find his mother.

She eyed him worriedly. "Can you walk?"

He merely rolled his eyes at her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he promised before leaving.

He indeed returned soon with a woman in his wake. She had half-long, brown hair, but her eyes were just as blue as Fiyero's and she was dressed in a beautiful and undoubtedly very expensive dark blue gown. She stopped and took Elphaba in when she laid eyes on her, obviously shocked.

Fiyero crossed over to where Elphaba was standing and took her hand. "Mum, this is Elphaba. Fae, this is my mother, Queen Danna."

Elphaba could see the queen's eyes travelling over her face, taking in the green skin, and then moving down her body, lingering on the now clearly visible baby bump for a long time before snapping back up to her eyes. Neither woman moved for a while, each of them taking the other in silently. The silence was broken by Noah, Bob, and Brownie, who approached the queen.

"Your Majesty," said Brownie and Bob added, "We're very honoured to be here." Three pairs of eyes settled on the queen, who looked even more shocked than she had before.

"I know it's a lot to take in," said Fiyero quickly, "but you knew about Elphaba, didn't you? I've told you enough about her by now. These three are Bob, Noah, and Brownie. They're Animals, obviously, and they've lost their parents somehow... we're taking care of them for the time being. Brownie's parents are gone, but we're still hoping to locate Bob and Noah's mother, Moula."

Danna nodded slowly, eyes still darting between the three fluff balls, the green girl, and her son. This was without a doubt the strangest introduction she'd ever experienced. She noticed the broom in the girl's hand and wondered if Elphaba actually flew on it. Was that even possible?

She opened her mouth to say something, but the dark-haired girl was quicker – only her words weren't directed at the queen, but at Fiyero. "Are you all right?"

Danna suddenly noticed that her son did look very pale and there was a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead. "Fiyero?"

"I think he needs to lie down," said Elphaba, looking up to meet the queen's gaze, and Danna nodded. That, at least, was something they could agree on.

"Follow me."

She led them to Fiyero's bedroom in the castle and watched as Elphaba helped him lie down on the bed, talking to him softly all the while. He replied something Danna could not hear and she moved closer. "What happened?" Her voice hardened. "Is he hurt?"

Fiyero waved her away. "It's nothing, Mum," he told her, but she would have none of that.

"Tell me what happened," she insisted and, after sharing a look with Elphaba, her son told her about what had transpired since he had left the castle.

She was speechless. He'd gone and gotten himself shot. He'd nearly died. Sure, the girl had saved his life, but it wouldn't have needed saving if he had never gone with her in the first place! She told him as much, but he just gave her that look she knew so well by now and told her what she knew he would say – that he loved Elphaba and would risk his life a thousand times over for her, that he would rather die than purposefully leave her. What surprised her was the fact that Elphaba herself merely smiled wryly and told Danna that she'd said the same thing to Fiyero countless times already, that he shouldn't have come with her, but that he refused to listen.

She believed that. She knew how stubborn her son could be. However, seeing him like this, weak and still recovering from a shot wound the Gale Force had given him... and then there was the girl, so obviously pregnant with Fiyero's child. He'd been to hell and back, she knew from his stories from before, when he had told her and her husband everything about his and Elphaba's flight from the City and their time in hiding... and for what? This girl? He was a fugitive, he was hurt, and he was going to be a father. His reputation and his life would be ruined once this baby was born, even more so than they already were. Jorge could perhaps fix his status as a fugitive, but he could not make the illegitimate heir to the Vinkun throne disappear. It would be a disgrace all over Oz.

She was a mother. She wanted what was best for her son and even though he kept telling her that he loved this girl and he was happy with her, Danna did not believe in love. Not the kind Fiyero claimed to be feeling, anyway. She believed in a mother's love for her children, a brother's love for his sister, or love between friends; but she did not believe in true love between a man and a woman – soul mates, as Fiyero had called it. The way she saw it, Elphaba had brought nothing but misery into Fiyero's life and surely he would see that, too, once the girl was gone.

That was why she went downstairs and told herself she was doing the right thing for her son as she asked a servant to run into the nearest town and alert the Gale Force that the witch who attacked the Wonderful Wizard was hiding in Adurin Iir.

* * *

"You need to rest, Fiyero."

He sighed, too tired and in too much pain to argue, but not wanting to let her win. "Fae..."

"Sleep," she told him, climbing onto the bed beside him and cupping his face to make him look at her. "Yero, I'm serious. You have to sleep. You were seriously injured not that long ago and your body needs to heal." She kissed him softly. "Bob, Noah, and Brownie are playing in the parlour. Your mother promised to look out for them. Now I need _you_ to look out for yourself."

He sighed again. "You need sleep, too."

"I will sleep," she promised him, brushing some sandy hair away from his forehead. "Later. I want to talk to your mother first. I'll take care of myself, Yero my hero, but only if you do the same thing. Now close those Oz-damned eyes of yours and sleep or I swear I will find a spell to make you."

He had to grin wearily at her tone. "Such loving words from my sweet girlfriend."

She poked her tongue out at him and he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly for a moment before kissing her lips. She broke away before the kiss could grow too heated, however. "I won't let you distract me," she warned him. "Especially not when your mother could walk into this room at any given moment." She gave him a long, stern look and he obediently closed his eyes.

He could hear her smile in her voice when she said, "Sweet dreams, Fiyero," and she leaned down to kiss his forehead before moving away from the bed. He heard the door open and close and soon after that, he was asleep.

Elphaba, meanwhile, made her way to the parlour, where she knew Danna was sitting with the Animals. When the queen saw her, she rose to her feet and came out of the room, giving Elphaba a questioning look.

"He's fine," the young witch said, correctly interpreting Danna's look. "He's asleep."

Queen Danna nodded and made to turn around, but Elphaba's calm voice stopped her.

"They're on their way here, aren't they? The Gale Force."

Danna whirled around to stare wide-eyed at the girl, but Elphaba merely winced a little.

"I was hoping you wouldn't," she said quietly. "But I suspected you would. Especially after observing you for a while when I was tending to Fiyero, I thought... I hoped I was wrong." She bit her lip. "You didn't tell them about him, did you? You won't let them take him?"

"Of course not," Danna said sharply. "He's my son."

Elphaba just nodded, still looking unhappy. "What about the Animals? Please," she begged. "They're so young, and they don't have their parents..."

"I'm not heartless," Danna told her. "They're welcome to stay here. They didn't ruin my son's life and reputation and they didn't almost get him killed."

"But I did." Elphaba wished she could say she didn't understand, but she did. She felt protective of her own baby, too, even if he wasn't born yet. "Fiyero was convinced you wouldn't turn me in, if only because of the baby... but the baby is exactly why you did, isn't it?"

"Not just the baby," Danna corrected her. "But yes. He doesn't need that. His reputation is stained enough as it is. That baby will tie him to you, a wanted fugitive and a supposed terrorist, for the rest of his life and I don't want that for him."

"What mother would?" Elphaba straightened her back. "Fine. When will they be here?"

Danna was eyeing her suspiciously. "I won't let you escape."

"I'm not going to," said Elphaba. "I know I won't be able to. If they're on their way already, they'll see me flying out the window and they'll just shoot me down. If I'm going to prison, anyway, I would prefer to do it unharmed and with my dignity intact, thank you very much."

The queen was obviously surprised at that. "You'd let them take you?"

"What choice do I have?" The green girl faltered. "I just hope... could you maybe tell Fiyero...? No," she decided. "Never mind." She wasn't going to ask this woman to give him a message. She wouldn't be able to trust Danna to actually deliver the message, anyway – not when she was the one who had turned Elphaba in.

Danna studied the young witch then, really looked at her... and suddenly regretted turning her in. She seemed so strong, so mature, but she was really just scared below the surface. She was pregnant... she was just a girl still. A cynical, sarcastic, and too mature girl who had been accused of a terrible crime, but still just a girl. And it hadn't even been proven that she had actually committed that crime.

"Jorge, my husband, is there in the City right now and they're trying to prove your innocence," she said. "Maybe... maybe you're telling the truth and it will come out over the next few days. You might not even be imprisoned for that long." It sounded like a weak excuse and she knew it.

Elphaba must know it, too, but she didn't say anything. She merely nodded and asked, "Can we go downstairs? If they're coming, I don't want them to wake Fiyero. He needs his sleep and he's going to be panicked and worried enough as it is once he wakes up."

Danna _knew_ then that she had made the wrong decision by turning the girl in, but it was too late by now and so instead she led Elphaba downstairs. The Gale Force arrived not long thereafter and Elphaba went with them obediently, her head held high and her back straight, with resignation in her eyes. Those dark eyes met Danna's for a moment and she whispered, "Take good care of Yero and the little ones for me, please?"

Danna nodded, unable to speak; and then she watched as the green girl was being led away, off to the Emerald City.

* * *

 **Told you. Cliffy. Sorry, not sorry.**

 **Thanks for all the name input! I picked four names for each gender that I personally really like. I put a poll up on my profile; you can vote there for one boy name and one girl name. I know the gender, but I'm not revealing it yet. I might use the other names for future fics, because there were some really nice entries!**


	33. Taken

**You seem to be torn between finding Danna's POV interesting and feeling sort of bad for her on the one hand and wanting to call the Danna Hunters on her on the other side... which was exactly my intention, so I'm glad that worked out!**

 **The reason this update is late is a nice one - I saw Beauty and the Beast yesterday! It was really, really amazing.**

* * *

 **33\. Taken**

Queen Danna knew that Fiyero would be livid once he'd find out what she'd done and so she decided she wouldn't tell him.

When he awoke and asked about Elphaba, she told him the green girl was asleep. He seemed satisfied with that, although he did grumble something about her being stubborn and too overprotective, sleeping in a different room when she could have shared a bed with him. He'd looked at Danna and added that Elphaba probably didn't want to make a bad impression on the queen by being found sleeping in the same bed as Fiyero, which made Danna feel even more guilty, but she didn't say anything.

Fiyero played and talked with the young Animals for a while and ate something. He asked about Elphaba again a while later and Danna was stumped for excuses. It wouldn't be believable if she said Elphaba was still asleep, but she didn't know what else to say, so she merely said vaguely, "She's around here somewhere."

"Then why hasn't she come to see me?" Fiyero demanded. "It's not like her to leave me alone for so long. I'd have thought she'd be back by now, fussing and trying to get me to sleep again."

Danna opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, Fiyero groaned. "Wait a clock-tick. You didn't show her the library, did you?"

His mother blinked. "What if I did?" she asked carefully and Fiyero heaved a deep sigh.

"Then I suppose I won't be seeing much of her until one of us goes to fetch her," he said. "She loves books to the point where she'll forget everything and everyone around her if she's engrossed in one. She actually almost forgot about an _exam_ once because she was so busy reading, back at Shiz; and for Elphaba, that really says something." He smiled a little. "Well, I guess I'll just leave her be for a while. I'm not going to let her skip dinner, though. She needs to eat, if only for the baby."

Danna fled the room then and spent the next few hours pacing and fidgeting. What could she do? She couldn't continue making up excuses. Her son would hate her. She couldn't bear that thought. She'd have to lie... but what could she say?

The prince finally found out when dinnertime came and he went down to the library to get Elphaba, only to discover that she, of course, wasn't there. He looked all over the part of the castle they were staying in – the part his father had made sure would be free of servants so that they could move around undetected – before bursting into the parlour where Danna was sitting, completely panicked. "Mum, she's missing! Elphaba is missing! Please tell me you've seen her?"

Danna sighed gracefully. "I have. Fiyero, there's something I have to tell you."

"Elphaba is missing?" Noah, who had been playing with the other two Animals, asked worriedly. "Does that have something to do with the Gale Force who came here this morning?"

Fiyero paled visibly and sank down into a chair. Danna swiftly moved over to comfort him.

"Yes," she answered the young Cat. She looked at Fiyero sympathetically. "She turned herself in, Fiyero. I'm sorry."

"This morning," he repeated, flabbergasted. "You've been lying to me all day, haven't you?"

Danna sighed again. "I didn't want you to worry. You needed your rest."

"She turned herself in?"

Danna nodded. "She exposed herself to a maid and asked her to go get the Gale Force. They escorted her back to the Emerald City. I'm sorry, Yero." She made to hug him.

He pushed her away then, leaping to his feet and advancing on her with fire in his eyes. "What did you do?!" he hissed, angrier than she had ever seen him.

"Me?" she spluttered, her heart pounding. "I didn't do anything!" He reminded her so much of her husband when he was angry. He was a man now; he no longer seemed like the boy he had been when she'd last seen him and that scared her. He had changed so much… he had grown up.

"Elphaba would never turn herself in!" he shouted at her. "She might have before, but she wouldn't now – not now that we're safe here, not with the current developments going on, and especially not since she discovered she was pregnant! _You_ turned her in, didn't you?"

Danna averted her gaze, jumping when Fiyero suddenly punched a hole in the wall. " _Didn't you_?!"

"I did," she whispered, closing her eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry, Fiyero... I did. I had to."

"I promised her!" He ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated and worried sick. "She had doubts about coming here to the Vinkus and I _promised_ her you wouldn't turn us in!" He looked back up at her, his eyes colder than she had ever seen them. "I guess I was wrong," he spat. "I thought I could trust my own mother, but apparently I was wrong about that."

That stung. She frowned at him. "I had to, Fiyero. Don't you see? She would only make you unhappy in the long run."

She expected him to hit her, honestly, or to continue screaming at her; but he was striding across the room and he snatched Elphaba's broomstick away from the wall. "What are you doing?" she asked him faintly.

He looked at her as if she had lost her mind. "I'm going after her." He said it as if that much should be self-explanatory. Maybe it should have been. Maybe she should have looked harder. He wasn't a boy anymore and he could make his own decisions... she'd made a mistake, she was sure of that now. A mistake her son might never forgive her for.

He didn't even look at her anymore as he opened the doors to the balcony. "Stay here," he said to Brownie, Bob, and Noah. "I'll bring her back, I promise. Just don't put yourself in danger." He narrowed his eyes at his mother. She'd never seen him look at her like this before. "If they are not perfectly healthy and happy when I get back here, I swear you will pay for it," he hissed at her before climbing onto the broom awkwardly and kicking off.

* * *

The journey itself was long, but uneventful. They kept her shackled, but they didn't do anything else to her – in fact, they hardly acknowledged her except to give her something to eat and drink at some point. They reached the Emerald City by mid-afternoon and Elphaba was brought to a cell in Southstairs, after which the Gale Force soldiers went off to find the rulers of Oz, who were in another meeting together, to tell them that the green girl had been captured.

Frex choked on his drink when he heard. "What?!"

"She's been captured, sir," the soldier said. "The Queen of the Vinkus sent someone to tell us that the witch had come to the royal castle, presumably in search of her boyfriend, the prince. We managed to arrest her and bring her back here to the City."

Now it was King Jorge's turn to ask, baffled, "What?!"

The other rulers – the Sorceress of the South from Quadling Country, Duke Laheni of Gillikin, and General Raeden from the Glikkus – were looking on in various stages of amazement.

"My wife turned her in?" Jorge asked the Gale Force soldier, who nodded.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Did she mention our son, too?"

The soldier hesitated. "She said she heard your son was killed during an attack on an Animal hide-out in the Great Kells, Your Majesty. She wasn't certain if that was true, but she said he wasn't at the castle – only the witch who attacked our Wizard was."

Jorge understood. He suspected Elphaba and Fiyero had both travelled to the Vinkus, but Danna wouldn't have wanted to turn in her own son; she probably made up this story to have Elphaba arrested and away from Fiyero. This way, in a few months' time or so, they'd be able to make up another story explaining Fiyero was alive, but changed, and he could be pardoned by whoever would be the new ruler of Oz.

He knew that Danna had been sceptical about Fiyero's story. She'd already disliked Elphaba before she'd even met her and it shouldn't surprise him that his wife had turned the girl in, but it did. Elphaba was pregnant with their grandchild and it was obvious that their son loved her. He couldn't understand that Danna had done this.

"Where is she?" Frexspar demanded, nearly crushing his coffee cup in his hand. The Sorceress of the South, whose name was Vaenna, placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Would you mind bringing the girl in here, please?" she asked the Gale Force soldier, who looked confused, but nodded.

"Certainly, Ma'am."

He left and Vaenna looked at Frex, who was pale with anger. "Frexspar?" She touched his hand. "Your daughter will be fine."

"How do you know?" he asked and she smiled.

"Because I just checked back on the spell I used earlier," Vaenna said simply, "and it worked. I can show you." She made a few hand gestures and muttered something under her breath; and suddenly, two transparent figures appeared in the room. The rulers all gasped and muttered to one another and the figures started moving and talking.

"I am your father," one of the figures – the Wizard – was saying. "And please, Elphaba, would you stop pacing? You're wearing a ditch in my floor."

"I don't care about your floor!"

Everyone was staring at the moving figures now and Vaenna explained, "This spell replays everything that truly happened between Elphaba, the Wizard, and Madame Morrible that day in the throne room. The day of the attack."

The rulers leaned in as they watched the Wizard and Elphaba argue. They were shocked when the Wizard confessed that he had no real power, but they soon realised Elphaba did.

"Elphaba..." the Wizard said now. "I know I have been wrong and I am willing to make changes in exchange for your cooperation. Changes that would be beneficial for the Animals."

She said she had to think about it and the Wizard agreed. They watched as a third person came into the picture – a transparent Madame Morrible – and she and the Wizard had a whispered conversation together. They heard Morrible's doubts, but the Wizard rebuffed them... and then they watched as an explosion took place and Morrible pointed at Elphaba, blaming her. The green girl fled in fear and the figures dissipated.

"It was Morrible," Jorge said incredulously. "Did you see her hand twitch? All this time, it was Madame Morrible."

A loud and heated discussion erupted amongst the officials, all of them shouting and talking at the same time. They all fell silent, however, when Elphaba was brought in.

Much to everyone's surprise, not in the least Elphaba's, Frexspar instantly moved over to her and took her hands in his own, looking her over urgently. "Are you all right, Fabala?"

She stared at him. He hadn't used that childhood nickname for her since Nessa was born and the concern in his eyes was completely new to her. She nodded, unable to say anything, and Frex continued to surprise her further by hugging her – a brief and slightly awkward hug, but a hug nonetheless.

He led her over to the couch on which he had been sitting and she slowly sank down on it, with her father still watching her like a hawk. "What happened, Elphaba?" he asked quietly. "How long were you in there?"

She shook her head. "Not long," she said. "They brought me in this afternoon and they went to tell you right away. Why did you want me here?"

Vaenna spoke up now. "To clear your name."

"Elphaba." Jorge approached her, looking into her eyes. "I'm Jorge, Fiyero's father," he introduced himself and Elphaba's eyes widened.

"Your Majesty." She made to rise to her feet to curtsey, but Jorge stopped her.

"There is no need for that, Elphaba." He crouched down in front of her so that his face was level with hers. "First of all, I need to apologise for my wife's actions. Trust me when I tell you that she is not going to get away with this."

She shook her head. "I understand why she did it," she said softly. "She was only trying to protect Fiyero. There's no need to punish her for wanting her son to be happy."

Jorge was a little startled, as were the other rulers. They'd been staring at Elphaba ever since she'd come in and not because of her skin – they'd already known she was green, after all. What they now knew, however, had put her in a whole new light; and in any case, this was the first time they'd seen her for real, this supposed terrorist and attacker of the Wizard of Oz. All they saw, however, was how small and fragile she looked, with one hand constantly on her swollen stomach, and how pale she was, and how young.

"She's just a girl," Duke Laheni muttered and General Raeden said in amazement, " _This_ is the person we've been hunting all this time?"

Elphaba chortled. "Oh, trust me, I can be quite scary when I want to be."

"Elphaba," Frex chided her, but more gently than ever before; and she gave him another bewildered glance. She'd noticed the change in her father before, when she and Fiyero had still been staying with him, but it was still strange to see it now.

Jorge nodded firmly. "I think that settles it, gentlemen – and lady," he added, glancing at Vaenna, who smiled. "Madame Morrible was the real terrorist here, not this girl. I think we should start clearing her name and we need to have some serious discussions about her official title as the princess of Oz and what that would mean."

"It would mean a lot of uprisings," Duke Laheni said crossly. "The people are already protesting against the rumours about her being the Wizard's daughter."

"That's because she was made out to be a dangerous criminal!" Vaenna said pointedly and the duke had to admit that she had a point.

"We'll do it slowly," General Raeden spoke up. "We will first clear her name and then slowly start to confirm the rumours about her before bringing her out in the open. The people will need time to get used to the idea and besides, the girl is pregnant. She'll probably want some peace and quiet for a while, too, especially after spending so long on the run. Will you send her home, Frexspar?"

Normally, Elphaba would have protested against them talking about her as if she wasn't even there; but between the fact that she felt exhausted after such a long and emotional day and the fact that these were all high rulers of Oz, she kept her mouth shut. Frex gave her a long look and Jorge spoke up thoughtfully.

"I think maybe it would be a better idea if she went back to the Vinkus."

"The Vinkus?" Frex bristled. "To your wife, who turned her in? Who says she won't do something worse this time around? I won't let you hurt my daughter!"

"I will handle my wife, Frexspar," King Jorge said firmly. "Elphaba will not befall any harm, I promise you that, but I think she has to be with Fiyero. He is the father of her baby, after all."

Frex sputtered. "Then I will go with her!"

"You can't," Duke Laheni said irritably. "You need to stay here. We all do. We have a lot of things to talk about."

"I promise you, Frexspar, she will be fine," Jorge told the governor, but he would not be reassured until Elphaba said quietly, "Father, I really do want to go back to Fiyero. He must be worried sick about me by now."

General Raeden opened his mouth to say something; but just then, they were interrupted by another Gale Force guard knocking and entering the room.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," he said, looking bewildered, "but… well, a man just crashed through a palace window on a broomstick. He says he is Prince Fiyero Tiggular and he insists on seeing King Jorge right away."

* * *

 **Don't forget to go to the poll on my profile to vote for baby names! :)**


	34. Make It Okay

**34\. Make It Okay**

Everyone could see the way Elphaba's eyes lit up and she straightened just a little upon hearing Fiyero's name, but they could also see the flash of worry that crossed her face. "Where is he?" she asked the guard.

He looked at her, clearly unsure of whether to tell her anything, but Jorge asked firmly, "Where is he?" and the guard caved.

"He's waiting just down the hall, Your Majesty. Shall I bring him in?"

"Please do," Jorge said and the guard bowed and left.

"That Oz-forsaken idiot," Elphaba was muttering under her breath. "Of course I knew he'd be worried, but he shouldn't be flying around on my broomstick with his injuries – he needs to rest and what if he ripped his stitches? He was shot only days ago!"

"Shot?" King Jorge echoed, shocked at that. Elphaba's reply, however, was lost when the door swung open and Fiyero came barging in, menacingly waving his broomstick at the men inside.

"You are to order Elphaba's release _right this clock-tick_ ," he ordered, pointing the broomstick's handle at General Raeden, who recoiled a little, "or else I'll make sure you regret it! Let the green girl..." He trailed off when his eyes found Elphaba, sitting on the couch next to her father, and he dropped the broom. "...go," he finished dumbly.

She laughed, even though her eyes were filled with tears – those blasted hormones again – and she leapt to her feet and all but threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. "Yero my hero," she teased him, resting her cheek against his chest for a moment before pulling away and swatting at his arm. "You are such an idiot! You seriously flew here on my broomstick? You could have fallen off – you could have _died_! Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," he said, still obviously dumbfounded, although he had recovered enough by then to put his arms around the green girl and hold her tightly to him. "Are you?"

"Perfect," she assured him, looking up into his sapphire blue eyes. He reached up to gently tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear and let his fingers linger on her cheek for a moment before cupping her face and bringing her closer, capturing her lips with his own in a soft kiss. She melted into the kiss for a moment, but then reluctantly pulled away, remembering their audience.

Frexspar cleared his throat. "Prince Fiyero. It's... good to see you again," he said and Fiyero nodded in acknowledgement.

"Thank you, sir," he replied. "You, too."

"Yero." Jorge clasped his son's hand. "Is it true? Did your mother...?"

Fiyero's eyes darkened. "Yes," he growled, his grip on Elphaba tightening. "She did."

Jorge nodded. "I'm sorry, son," he said sincerely. "I'll handle her once I get back to Adurin Iir myself."

"Good." Fiyero was looking murderous. "Because I don't think I can even stand being in the same room as her right now."

"She was only trying to protect you, Yero," Elphaba said and he looked at her incredulously.

"Protect me? Protect me from what? You?" he demanded and she sighed and nodded.

"Yes."

"I make my own choices, Fae." He stroked her cheek and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "And I chose you. She's just going to have to accept that. She had no right to do this and I will not forgive her for it."

"Of course you will." Elphaba shook her head as she broke away from him. "She's your mother."

He huffed. "We'll see."

"Fiyero."

He met her gaze reluctantly and she held his. "Don't just throw your relationship with her away," she said quietly. "Especially not for me. At least you still _have_ a mother, Yero. She only did what she thought was best for you."

He sighed, but nodded, recognising her point. "Fine. I'll forgive her. Just... just not yet."

Jorge quickly introduced his son to the other officials present and explained to Fiyero that Vaenna, the Sorceress of the South, had just cleared Elphaba's name by showing them all what had really happened in the throne room that fatal day and that they were now trying to come up with a plan to bring this knowledge out into the world for everyone to know. "We were just discussing what to do with Elphaba until her name is cleared and until the baby is born and she is ready to come out as the princess of Oz," Jorge informed his son. "We were having a bit of an argument about whether she should go to the Vinkus to see you or to Munchkinland, where her home is, but since you're here..."

"She's going to Munchkinland," Frex said firmly. "She's my daughter and I want to know for certain that she is safe and taken care of. Besides, her sister has missed her terribly and she's very worried about Elphaba."

Fiyero raised his eyebrows at the young witch, clearly just as surprised at her father's behaviour as she herself was; but she just shrugged helplessly, indicating that she had no idea where it had come from, either.

"I guess Fiyero and I will just fly there on the broom, then," she said, but then remembered herself. "Oh, no, we can't! I have to get back to the Vinkus – I have some young Animals there who need my help. I can't just leave them there."

"Bob, Noah, and Brownie," Fiyero said, grimacing slightly. "Of course. How could I forget them?"

She looked at him worriedly. "They are safe, right?"

"Of course," he assured her. "I threatened my mother that if she didn't take care of them, there'd be consequences. I don't think she wants to cross me again."

"Animals?" Duke Laheni echoed, frowning a little. "She's helping Animals?"

"Remember the spell," General Raeden reminded him. "The Animals aren't evil, either. The Wizard and Madame Morrible made them out to be, but it turns out we couldn't trust either of them."

The duke looked unconvinced, but didn't say anything else.

"The Vinkus it is, then," Jorge decided. "For now, why don't you two get some rest? You," he beckoned one of the servants standing by the door, "show these two to a room, please, and make sure they are comfortable – bring them some food, too. We have a lot still to discuss, especially with this new information. Frex and I will come check on you later," he told them and they nodded.

They followed the servant out of the room and down the hall, into a sitting room. There turned out to be a bedroom and bathroom attached to that sitting room and Fiyero whistled. "I never thought I'd be staying in a room in the Emerald Palace one day."

Elphaba smiled and he pulled her back into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head. She could feel him shaking a little and she gently led him over to the couch. "You should sit down. You're not fully healed yet."

"And you suddenly disappearing certainly didn't help my healing process," he muttered, drawing her further into his arms. "I nearly had a heart attack when I found out you were gone."

"I'm sorry."

"Stop that. It's not like it was your fault." He sighed. "Oz, I feel like strangling my mother. She didn't even tell me until I went to find you for dinner – at first she said you were asleep, and then she claimed you to be in the library..."

"Which you believed, of course, since you know how lost I am when I'm surrounded by books." She smiled softly at him and he nodded, frustrated.

"Exactly. So I didn't even realise you were gone until you'd been gone for an entire day already. So much could have happened to you in that time, Fae. I would never have forgiven myself if you'd gotten hurt... or worse..."

"Stop that," she chided him. "You couldn't have known. You know how I get in a library – it would have been a perfectly valid reason for you not to have seen me all day long. I'm fine, Yero, really."

"Still." He shifted and she, noticing how obviously tired he was, urged him to lie down. He did, but he pulled her with him, tugging at her until she complied and lay down beside him. They just fit on the couch like that and he sighed happily, inhaling her scent and tangling his legs with hers as he felt her snuggle against him. "What did happen, Fae? The Gale Force took you?"

She nodded against his chest. "They kept me restrained, but they didn't do anything else to me," she reassured him. "They just brought me here, to the City, and put me in the dungeons before running off to alert the rulers of the Ozian provinces, who were having a meeting, that they had captured me. I was only in Southstairs for a very short time before they came to get me again because the rulers had ordered for me to be brought up to them." She didn't tell him how scared she had been when they had come for her, convinced that she was about to be executed; or that there had been a guard down there who had been taunting her to the point where she didn't doubt that if she'd had to spend the night in those dungeons, he would have done something terrible. It didn't matter now and in any case, he didn't need to know. It would only make him worry.

Fiyero's hand drifted down to her stomach and he nuzzled her cheek, exhaling slowly. "So do you have any idea what has come over your father?"

She chortled. "I haven't the foggiest, but I can't say I mind it so much. I actually like this new side of him... he seems to be trying," she said. "In fact, he seems to actually care."

"Maybe observing you for a few days, pregnant and taking care of me, changed his opinion of you," Fiyero suggested and she shrugged.

"I guess."

They were quiet for a while and soon, without either of them meaning to, they drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Gazilon!" There was a loud pounding on the door. "Gazilon, open up!"

He opened the door, looking bleary and still half-asleep. He was only dressed in a pair of flannel pyjama pants, his hair was ruffled, and he looked altogether sleepy. "Huh?"

Galinda stared at his bare chest. "Okay, if I wasn't together with Boq and you weren't still hung up on Elphie, I would _so_ ravish you right now," she declared.

He blinked at her, not entirely awake just yet; and she pushed past him and into the hallway, with Boq following close behind.

"I hope you didn't mean that," the Munchkin was saying to Galinda, looking cross, but the blonde just giggled at him.

"I did say I would have done it if I hadn't been together with you, dearest," she said, fluttering her eyelashes at him. She slipped her arms around his neck. "I love you."

He sighed, but gave in and pressed a kiss to her pouting lips. Only then did they remember that they had come for a reason and Galinda sprang away from her boyfriend, suddenly panicky once again. "Oh my Oz, Gazilon, have you heard? Elphaba has been captured! Fiyero's mother, the queen of the Vinkus, turned her in! We have to go and save her! She's already been in Southstairs an entire night, who knows what has happened to her?!"

Gazilon yawned and stretched lazily. "She's fine."

"What?" Galinda grabbed his shoulders and yanked him down to her level so that she could shake him furiously. "Gazilon, how can you be so casual about this? You said you love her! She's in danger! She could be raped or tortured or murdered or... or... we have to go and get her, right now! Or as soon as possible, anyway!"

"Glin," Boq soothed, placing a hand on the petite blonde's shoulder. "Calm down." He gently pried Galinda off Gazilon, who heaved a relieved sigh.

"Thanks, Boq." He rubbed his shoulders, where Galinda's fingers had dug into his skin. "As I was saying, Elphaba is fine. Oz, guys, I'm a member of the Gale Force and I live right here in the City. It's been a night already. Don't you think I heard about her capture before you did? And don't you think that since I did, I would have tried to make sure she is all right? Seriously, use your brains."

They both blinked at him.

"She was captured," Gazilon confirmed, yawning again, "but she's all right now. The Sorceress of the South proved the truth about her and Frexspar and Fiyero's father are both there, so I trust she's well taken care of. I also heard rumours about Fiyero crashing through a window on El's broomstick in an attempt to save her, but I don't know if those stories are actually true."

There was silence for a while. Then Galinda suddenly let out an ear-piercingly loud scream and threw her arms around Gazilon's neck, hugging him tightly. "Her name is cleared? Gaz, that's the best news in _forever_! She's going to be okay now! She and Fiyero can get married and rule the Vinkus and Oz and have babies and live happily ever after and this is just simply _wonderful_!"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Boq muttered and he and Gazilon exchanged a grin over Galinda's completely oblivious head.

"It's not going to be that easy," Gazilon warned her as she let go of him to beam at them both. "Clearing her name is going to take a lot of time, even with the rulers of Oz doing it. They'll have to convince a bunch of other officials first, gain the support of some important families in Oz, and then slowly convince the people. If they want to try to install her as Oz's new ruler, that's going to be even more difficult. There are groups of people already rebelling against the idea of her being the princess of Oz and it could turn into a civil war if they're not careful."

Galinda shook her head disappointedly. "Oh, Gazilon, you're so pessimistic," she said with a little sniff. "Maybe it's a good thing you and Elphie broke up. You'd only drag one another further down. At least Fiyero has my optimism."

He scowled at her and she giggled. "I'm joking, Gazzy. Pessimism is actually rather uncommon for you, you know?"

"It's not pessimism," he pointed out. "It's realism. And yes, I suppose my time in the City has changed me a little."

Galinda rolled her eyes in a very Elphaba-like gesture. "You could say that."

"I was going to offer to take you with me to see her," Gazilon said with a straight face, "but if you're going to be like that…"

Galinda's eyes widened. "Oh, no, I didn't mean it! Please, Gaz?" She made big, googly eyes at him. "I want to see my best friend! Please?"

He grinned at her. "Sure. Just let me get dressed and I'll take you to the Palace," he offered. "They know me, so I'm sure it won't be a problem for you to see her for a little while."


	35. Forgiveness's Embrace

**35\. Forgiveness's Embrace**

The door opened, but Elphaba and Fiyero hardly had any time to start worrying about what that could mean before something launched itself at the dark-haired witch, squealing loudly. "Elphie! Oh, Elphie, I've missed you so much! How are you? Are you all right? How is baby Galinda? And you, Fiyero!" The blonde threw herself at the prince next, who staggered a little and grimaced in pain at the sudden weight hitting him. "Are you all right, too, Fiyero? How's your shot wound?"

"It was better before you hit it with the force of a flying house!" he retorted and she instantly pulled away, looking suitably abashed.

"I'm so sorry," she said, but then she squealed again. "Oh, it's so good to see you two!"

"It's good to see you, too, Glin," Elphaba said with a warm smile, even as she made her way across the room to Fiyero. She made him sit down on the edge of the bed and inspected his bandages, but his stitches didn't appear to have ripped. "Although you could have been more careful with Yero, who _almost died_ not too long ago," she stressed, giving her blonde friend a pointed look.

Galinda bit her lip. "Right. Noted. I'm sorry."

Elphaba looked at Boq now, who had entered behind his girlfriend, and smiled at him as well. "Hey."

"Hi." He hesitated, then hugged her briefly. "It's good to see you." He glanced at Fiyero. "Both of you."

Gazilon entered next and Elphaba stared at him for a while, silent, not sure of what to say to him. It was the first time she'd seen him since the attack on the Animal hide-out... the first time since she'd thought Fiyero to be dead and since so many lives had been lost, partly because of him. She noticed that he didn't meet her gaze.

"So how are you?" Galinda pressed and Elphaba tore her gaze away from her ex-boyfriend to smile at her best friend instead.

"We're fine," she said. "Well, of course Fiyero is still recovering, but he's going to be fine, too. The baby is great, but even if it's a girl, we're _not_ naming her Galinda," she said sternly, causing the blonde to pout. "Other than that... well, the Sorceress of the South appears to have cleared my name and she and the other rulers are busy right now trying to figure out a way to inform the people of that fact."

Galinda nodded solemnly. "We know. Gazilon told us." She squeezed the man's arm. Elphaba glanced up at his face briefly before dropping her gaze again, unsure of what to say to him.

"Where are you going now?" Boq asked and Elphaba explained to him about the three young Animals still staying with Danna in the Vinkus.

"We'll be travelling back there in a few hours," she said. "King Jorge is escorting us, because he wants to talk to his wife about her... um, well... turning me in..." She didn't miss the way Fiyero stiffened at that, but she ignored it. "...but he'll be going back to the City soon after that. We might go to Munchkinland with Brownie, Bob, and Noah... I'm not really sure yet what we're going to do."

"You're always welcome at my house, too," said Galinda softly. "You know that, right?"

"I do." Elphaba smiled at her friend. "Thanks, Glin."

"Or at mine," Boq added, "although I suppose that if you'd be returning to Munchkinland, anyway, you'd much rather go home..."

"And besides," Elphaba teased him, "it's not like you would actually be there. You've been spending all your time in Gillikin lately, according to my very trustworthy source."

Boq reddened. "What source is that?"

Elphaba meaningfully looked at Galinda, who blinked back innocently, and Boq sighed. "Of course." He cringed a little. "Has she discussed every little detail of our relationship with you?"

"She tried to, in her letters," Elphaba said, amused. "She stopped when I pointed out to her that even though I _love_ hearing about her love life," the sarcasm in her voice was hard to miss even for Galinda, "I had slightly more important things to worry about at the time."

Boq and Fiyero both chuckled at that. Galinda looked slightly guilty.

"Anyway," Fiyero said, "how are you guys?"

"Much better now that we know that you two are okay," said Galinda promptly. She looked up at Gazilon again. "Gaz here has really been a great help with all of it – he's been trying so hard to track you down, Elphie, when we wanted to let you know Fiyero was alive, and he's done so much to try and help clear your name... and he brought us here today, of course."

Elphaba took a deep breath. She knew what Galinda was trying to do and she supposed she should just go along with it. Part of her was still mad at Gazilon, but she knew he had tried his hardest to make things right again, even though he never really could, and perhaps she should try to forgive him. He was most likely not going to forgive _himself_ for it, if she knew him as well as she thought she did, and wasn't that punishment enough?

"Gaz," she said softly and his head shot up. He probably hadn't even expected her to talk to him again, let alone address him by his nickname. "Can we talk?"

He nodded violently. Fiyero and Galinda both gave her meaningful smiles and she rolled her eyes at them as she led Gazilon into the foyer attached to the bedroom, closing the door behind them and then turning around to face him.

"Look," he said before she could say anything. "I know I screwed up, El, and you don't have to forgive me for that. Glin and Fiyero probably both talked – or wrote, in Galinda's case – to you about it, knowing them, but I don't want you to feel obliged to talk to me because of them."

"I don't." She sighed. "You know how I feel about what you did, Gaz, but I can't stay mad at you for that forever. You tried to do what was right and even though you did the wrong thing, you did it for the right reasons. I know what it's like to have good intentions backfire on you and I can't hold that against you – not for long, anyway. Especially not since you've been trying so hard to make up for it ever since by helping us in any possible way... and I can't forget what a great friend you've been to me before, either." She met his gaze. "We were a couple once," she said quietly. "I loved you. Even so, I treated you like dirt, setting you aside for Fiyero, and yet you were so wonderful about it. You've always supported me and you've always been a far better friend and boyfriend – a far better _person_ – than I deserve to have in my life."

He was shaking his head now. "El, no. I'm the one who never deserved you," he said. "You didn't treat me like dirt. You were honest with me, and I appreciated that. I still do, even though it hurt... it still does, sometimes. But I wouldn't have wanted you to lie to me about it. You love who you love and you can't really help that." He took a deep breath. "Just like I can't help still loving you, and that makes me do stupid things sometimes... I'm sorry."

"I know you are." She took a step closer. "Can we just be friends again, then?"

His smile was so radiant it could compete with the sun. "I'd love that."

She returned the smile and hugged him tightly, wrapping her arms around his waist. He rested his chin on top of her head and she mumbled against his chest, "I really am sorry, too. You know that, right? I wish I could have loved you the way you want me to. You deserve that."

"I know you're sorry," he said. "You don't have to be, though. Like I said, you can't help how you feel. You and Fiyero make one another happy. I'll get over it one day and find some other girl who can make me happy, too." He pulled away, but not before dropping a final kiss to the top of her head. She smiled sadly at him.

Just then, they were interrupted by Frexspar, who looked a little startled to see his daughter talking to Gazilon.

"Father," she said quickly, "this is Gazilon Damaran, a friend of mine from Shiz. Gaz, this is my father."

"It's a pleasure, Governor Thropp," Gazilon said politely, shaking the older man's hand, and Frex nodded at him.

"The pleasure is mine, Master Damaran." He looked at his daughter. "Elphaba, you and Fiyero should pack everything you want to take with you. You will be leaving in a carriage in about half an hour. We decided you'll be going to Munchkinland right away," he told her, "and His Majesty will fetch those three Animals from the Vinkus and make sure they get to our home safely. I know the original plan was for you to go to the Vinkus, but your sister will want to see you as soon as possible, since she has most likely been quite worried; and to be honest, I don't want you anywhere near the woman who turned you in just yesterday."

She nodded, trying to hide her surprise at him once again showing that apparently he cared about her well-being. "Thank you, Father." She hesitated, looking at Gazilon, but he ushered her back towards the door.

"Go pack," he said. "I'll take Glin and Boq back to my home. They'll probably be going back to Gillikin together – or maybe they'll go to Munchkinland for a change, especially since you will be there, too – and you and Fiyero can have some peace and quiet at your home while your fathers work on clearing your name and making everything okay again. It's all going to work out in the end, El."

She laughed softly. "I've always loved your optimism."

"But you don't believe for even a clock-tick that I'm right?" he guessed and she smirked at him.

"You know me so well."

He rolled his eyes. "It will be, though. Just you wait and see," he said, threateningly holding up a finger at her, and she chuckled.

"Good-bye, Gaz."

"Bye, El." He watched as she went back into the bedroom and soon thereafter, Galinda and Boq came back out, looking disappointed at the fact that their visit had been cut so short, but still happy that they had had the chance to visit their friends at all. They left, all three of them feeling relieved, not knowing what trials still were to come.

* * *

As Frex had predicted, Nessarose was very happy to see her sister and Fiyero both alive and well; and as he had promised, Bob, Noah, and Brownie arrived at the governor's mansion that same night. Elphaba wondered aloud what Jorge would say to his wife and Fiyero said that he hoped his father would do something drastic, at which the green girl chastised him.

Frexspar himself came home about a week later, exhausted, but seemingly satisfied. Not long after that, the first official news about Elphaba not actually having done anything to the Wizard trickled out into the world. It created a buzz among the people and it was the main topic of almost every conversation, filling the front pages of all the tabloids and newspapers in Oz. The whole thing was met with some resistance, especially the groups of people that had caused the riots earlier, but the rulers of Oz were making an effort to let this change go as smoothly as possible, given the fact that they intended to introduce Elphaba as the official princess of Oz in a while and they would need the people on their side for that.

While Frex, Jorge, and the other rulers were still busy trying to keep it all under control, giving press conferences, holding meetings, and releasing statements; the subjects of all that talk were focused on entirely different things. With Galinda and Boq staying in Munchkinland with Boq's parents for a while, they spent a lot of time together, catching up and talking about a thousand different things. Finally, they had a chance to live normally again for a while. Fiyero, at his girlfriend's insistence, took his time to heal and rested a lot; she did, too, because she was feeling tired all the time these days. With her pregnancy symptoms worsening, she was only too happy with the peace and quiet they were getting now. No more running, no more hiding, and no more worrying about what could happen – or not as bad, anyway. She loved it.

Bob, Noah, and Brownie liked staying with the Thropp family. Nessarose often spoilt them rotten, having taken a quick liking to the young Animals, and of course Elphaba and Fiyero cared for them to the best of their abilities as well. Even Frex seemed not to mind their presence; he actually made conversation with them a few times, which baffled Elphaba. Frex really was making an effort to change, not just regarding his eldest daughter, but in general. That, too, was something that took some getting used to, but she saw it as something positive. It felt good to finally have a somewhat normal relationship with her father. It would never be the same as his relationship with Nessa, but not having to worry about saying or doing the real thing and actually being able to have normal conversations with him – not to mention noticing him trying to look out for her and caring about how she was doing – was such a huge improvement from the way it had previously been.

At some point, Jorge and Danna came to visit Elphaba and Fiyero at the governor's mansion, too, and the queen apologised to Elphaba.

"I know what I did was wrong," she said, lowering her gaze. "I saw that... well, I saw it before they even came to take you away, really. I didn't even give you a chance. What I have done is unforgivable; but I am sorry, Elphaba, and I do hope you can forgive me."

Fiyero snorted and began hotly, "She shouldn't –", but Elphaba cut him off.

"Of course."

Danna looked up in surprise and Fiyero gaped at his girlfriend. "Excuse me – _what_?" he managed and she rolled her eyes at him.

"She only did what she thought was best for you, Yero," she said. "I can't blame her for that." She raised an eyebrow at the queen. "As long as you can promise me you won't do something like that again, of course."

Danna laughed nervously. "I promise."

Elphaba smiled. "Then we're good."

Fiyero didn't agree with that and he made it clear to his mother that he was still mad at her, but after Elphaba urging him, he did grudgingly try to talk normally to her again. He knew how the young witch felt about this. She didn't have a mother anymore; he did, and he knew he had to be grateful for that, even though she'd made a huge mistake. He'd forgive her completely in the end.

Jorge and Danna stayed with the Thropps for a while and on the third day of their stay, Fiyero was utterly and completely dumbfounded when he went in search of Elphaba, only to find her in the parlour with his mother, both of them howling with laughter.

"What happened then?" Elphaba asked, still chortling as she wiped some tears from her cheeks.

Danna laughed. "Well, he just walked up to his father and said... hi, Fiyero."

"'Hi, Fiyero'?" Elphaba echoed, furrowing her brow. "Why would he say...? Oh," she said when she spotted the prince in the doorway. "Hi, Fiyero."

For some reason, that made Danna burst into a fresh wave of giggles and before he knew it, Elphaba was doubling over again as well.

"Okay," he said, unsure of what was going on and quite unnerved by this strange development. "One, since when have the two of you become friends; and two, what is so funny that you're nearly rolling over the floor?"

Danna blushed a little, but Elphaba just cackled with unholy glee. "Your mother has been telling me some stories about your childhood, love," she said, eyes twinkling mischievously, and Fiyero groaned in not entirely exaggerated dismay.

"Please tell me she didn't tell you the library story," he begged the green girl, but she just smirked at him.

"Sorry, Yero. She did."

He groaned again, louder this time, which made Danna laugh again. Elphaba scooted over a little and Fiyero sat down beside her, putting his arm around her and tucking her into his side, his fingers almost instinctively falling to her baby bump. "How are you feeling?"

"Well," she said, still chuckling a little, "I have a slight stomach-ache, but I think that's because I was laughing so hard. I had no idea you were such an amusing little cutie when you were young, Yero."

He rolled his eyes, but was appeased when she leaned up to kiss his cheek and put her head on his shoulder. "It's adorable. I love you. Baby loves you, too – here," she took his hand and guided it to a spot on her swollen stomach, "I think he's waving at you. Or maybe he's kicking. Whatever it is, it involves a lot of poking me from the inside out."

"Can I...?" Danna tentatively asked, scooting a little closer. "Can I feel?"

"Sure." Elphaba indicated where the queen should put her hand and once she did and felt the baby's movements, her face softened.

"This is wonderful," she murmured, tearing up a little. "I'd forgotten how amazing and awe-inspiring a pregnancy can be." She looked up at Fiyero. "Yero, I'm so sorry I ever doubted everything you told me," she said sincerely. "I see how wrong I was now. I didn't want to admit it or even try to see it, but... but I think you made all the right choices and I'm proud of you. You... you found yourself a beautiful young woman." She met Elphaba's gaze. "I'm sure you will make a great queen, Elphaba," she said softly. "Whether that be just of the Vinkus or of all of Oz."

Elphaba surprised both the queen and Fiyero by leaning in and embracing Danna. "Thank you. That means a lot to me."

Fiyero merely watched all of this in awe, wondering if hormones were somehow involved – although he failed to see how Elphaba's hormones could change Danna's mind about the green girl. It was probably some female thing he would never understand. Instead of trying to, he decided to just accept it and be grateful that his girlfriend and his mother were getting along now.


	36. The Future Is Unlimited

**Sorry for the delay! I've been crazy busy these past few days and this is the last chapter I have pre-written for this story, so I'm going to have to improvise a little when it comes to updates... no promises on regular ones, but I'll try.**

* * *

 **36\. The Future Is Unlimited**

The weeks passed and then turned into months, time slowly ticking away. Through his connections with the resistance, Jorge managed to track down Moula, who was still alive and incredibly happy and grateful to find her children in good health. She promptly adopted Brownie as one of her own as well and when Boq and Galinda offered them a place to stay with Boq's family in Munchkinland, she accepted gratefully, since they had nowhere else to go and the Parlones didn't mind having them.

Elphaba's name was almost entirely cleared by then and so was Fiyero's, for which they were both grateful. Frex, Jorge, and the other Ozian rulers were now busy trying to come up with a strategy to tell the people about Elphaba's parentage without overwhelming them or making them want to rebel, which meant they were all spending a lot of time in the Emerald City. Elphaba, by then, was just over eight months along and sometimes she felt like she had to be the most enormous and hideous monster in all of Oz.

"Are we sure I'm actually carrying a human baby and not an Elephant?" she demanded in exasperation of Nessarose and Galinda one afternoon, making the other girls giggle madly.

"I never thought I'd hear you complain about your weight one day, Elphie," said Galinda, swallowing more giggles at the glare her former roommate gave her.

"Oh, Fabala," said Nessa, seeing her sister was genuinely upset. "It's only normal, you know. You'll be back to your old, skinny self soon enough once the baby is born!"

Elphaba grumbled something under her breath and Galinda smiled at her friend. "She's right. Imagine your baby, Elphie! That's what you're doing it for, remember? A tiny little version of you or Fiyero!"

That made the green girl smile a little, her hand subconsciously drifting to rest on her stomach. "I know." It would be worth it, in the end.

During their visits, Danna and Jorge were starting to heavily hint at the idea of Fiyero and Elphaba getting married soon, given the pregnancy and their now-cleared names. Frex had been doing the same thing and even though Elphaba knew they all meant well, it had annoyed her to no end. Maybe that was just the hormones speaking, but the more people mentioned it, the more reluctant she was to actually do it. Even Galinda, Boq, and Nessa had tentatively brought it up.

Not Fiyero, though. She knew that he was very well aware of what the people around them thought they should do, but the sweetheart hadn't said a word about it even once. At first, she had briefly been uncertain, wondering if it meant that maybe he didn't want to marry her at all, that he didn't want to stay with her for the rest of his life; but one look into his eyes had erased those doubts. She knew why he was doing it. He knew her so well and he must realise how cornered it made her feel, other people trying to coax her into making decisions they thought were best, and that was why he hadn't said anything to her about it. He didn't want to pressure her when he could tell she wasn't ready.

She hadn't thought it possible, but it made her love him even more. He knew her better than anyone in her life ever had and all the bad things they had been through had not broken them, but made them stronger, both individually and as a couple. Sometimes she felt like he could read her mind and although it sometimes irritated her a little, she was usually very grateful for it.

They would marry, in the end. She was pretty sure of that. Right now, however, she thought neither of them really wanted to. So much had happened lately and they just needed to take some time to process all that and get back on their feet before doing anything else. She didn't know yet what they were going to do or where they were going to live once the baby was born. Right now, she didn't care, as long as they were together. They would figure out everything else in due time.

One thing they _had_ discussed was baby names, and they had come up with a couple of names for both genders, agreeing to pick a definitive name once the baby was born. They had talked a lot about the baby, imagining what he or she would look like, and they'd even talked about having other children briefly. Elphaba had never felt more like part of a family than she did during those times and it made her feel safe and loved and cared for, something she still wasn't entirely familiar with, despite Fiyero's efforts for the past years. She enjoyed it more than she could possibly say.

She finally went into labour nearly a week after her due date. She and Fiyero were still staying in Munchkinland; Galinda had wanted to be there for the birth, but Elphaba had hesitantly told her that she'd much rather have the blonde come see the baby once it was actually born. Thankfully, Galinda had accepted that without question. Nessarose had, too, as well as Frex; and so when the green girl gave birth, it was only in the presence of Fiyero and the midwife, who encouraged her to push despite Elphaba's angry yells that it hurt and she hated this and if the midwife could just get the baby out already.

It was a relatively easy labour – even though it felt anything but easy to Elphaba. The midwife did need some help at some point and she asked the young witch if it would be okay for her father to come into the room to help out. Elphaba hesitated, but complied; and so Frex entered the room, looking decidedly uncomfortable. The midwife put him to work, fetching towels and hot water. Elphaba would have been amazed and might have laughed at the fact that her father, who had always had servants tend to his every whim, was now doing manual labour and being bossed around by a woman half his size, if the dark-haired witch hadn't been painfully busy giving birth.

When the midwife finally held the baby, her smile faltered just a little and Elphaba, who noticed, struggled to sit up. "What?" she asked anxiously. "What's wrong?"

The midwife hesitated, then shook her head. "Nothing," she said. "Not really. It's just... well..."

Frex hurried over to her side to look and he gasped a little. Elphaba was a little unnerved to find tears in his eyes and a smile on his face when he looked back up at her. "She's beautiful, Elphaba."

Elphaba cried, too. "It's a girl?" she managed. "Are you... are you sure nothing's wrong?"

The midwife still looked doubtful, but Frexspar shook his head firmly. "No. Nothing is wrong." He took the baby from the midwife, who seemed frozen in place, and gently placed the girl in his daughter's arms. "Meet your daughter, Fabala."

Now, Elphaba understood the midwife's reaction. She didn't care, however. She could only cry and laugh at the same time as she held her beautiful, emerald-skinned daughter for the first time.

"She's beautiful," Frex said softly and Elphaba looked up at him, uncertain, but hopeful.

"Really?"

Her father smiled at her a little sadly. "Really."

That nearly made her cry all over again, but then she realised Fiyero had been oddly quiet and her head whipped around as she suddenly felt scared. "Yero? You're quiet. Why are you quiet?" She thought of her own birth and mental images of Fiyero turning the baby away because of her green skin flashed through her mind, making her subconsciously tighten her grip on her daughter. She knew, rationally, that he would never do such a thing, but she couldn't help being afraid.

Hearing the mild panic in her voice, Fiyero shook his head at her. "It's not what you think, Fae," he told her sternly. There was a goofy grin on his face. "I was just realising now that I... I'm a father," he said in wonder, which made Elphaba roll her eyes despite the smile on her face. "I mean it!" he protested. "I guess it didn't really hit until now, but we have a _daughter_ , Fae." The awe was clear in his voice and on his face and Elphaba rested her head against his shoulder as he murmured into her hair, "She's just as beautiful as her mother. You've done great, sweetheart. I'm so proud of you."

"I love you," she whispered and she felt him kiss her hair.

"I love you, too."

The midwife took the baby from Elphaba to clean her and wrap her in a soft blanket, but when she tried to hand her back to the green girl, Elphaba shook her head. "Let her father hold her."

Fiyero held his breath when the baby was placed into his arms. "Sweet Oz..." he muttered, his grin nearly splitting his face in two as he gently rocked the little girl back and forth. "We're parents, Elphaba. Can you believe this?"

"Not really," she admitted with a tired smile. She didn't seem to be able to stop smiling. She felt like it was superfluous now, but she had to ask nonetheless. "Do you really not...?"

"She's beautiful," Fiyero cut her off firmly. "So are you. Don't even ask me that, Elphaba. You should know by now that I would never lie to you and that I genuinely find you the most gorgeous girl I've ever met. Don't insult me by asking if I'm so shallow that I care about the colour of our daughter's skin – not after I've spent years trying to prove to you that I don't care about the colour of yours."

She huffed softly, but she was still smiling. "Well, you _did_ say you were deeply shallow once, so I just figured I'd make sure."

He grinned and pulled her into his side with his free arm so that they could both look down at their beautiful daughter. "Welcome to this world, little Ebony," he said softly and Elphaba closed her eyes with her head against his shoulder, feeling completely at peace as she drifted off into an exhausted sleep.

While she slept, Fiyero never loosened his hold on her or on the baby, even when his arm started cramping slightly. It took him a while to realise that while the midwife had left the room to tell Nessarose and the other inhabitants of the house that the baby was born and everything had gone well, Frexspar was still in the room with them. Fiyero looked up at him now, only to meet the older man's awed gaze.

"I'm a grandfather," he said in wonder.

Fiyero chuckled. "You are." He hesitated, then offered, "Would you like to hold her?"

Frex looked startled for a moment, but touched. "I... yes. Yes, I would. Are you sure?" he asked, but Fiyero waved that question away.

"My arm is falling asleep, anyway," he chuckled, not entirely joking. "And she's your granddaughter. Here." He gingerly handed the baby over to Frex, as well as he could with only one arm, and the governor cradled Ebony in his arms and gently rocked her back and forth.

"Hello, little girl," he said to the baby. She fussed and whimpered a little, but calmed down when Frex continued to rock her, softly humming a lullaby under his breath. Fiyero was a little amazed by the sight. He'd never imagined he'd been seeing Elphaba's stern, cold father this way someday.

All was well, for now, and Fiyero felt utterly content and happy. He was optimistic about the future. They were a family now and their names were almost entirely cleared; someday not too far off in the future, he and Elphaba would get married and find a place of their own to live and raise their family. Maybe they'd go to live in the Emerald Palace, if Elphaba really did become the princess of Oz, or maybe they'd settle down in the Vinkus. No matter what happened, though, Fiyero was sure they were going to be okay. The trials were over now and only the good things remained… or so he thought.

* * *

 **That was obviously a cliffy just for the sake of cliffiness.**

 **The baby's colour, name, and gender are based on the results of the polls I made you fill in, both on Twitter and on my profile. I hope you're happy with them!**

 **Also, in case I don't manage to update again before then, a very merry Christmas to all of you!**


	37. Do You Hear the People

**Isn't this a wonderful update to read on Christmas day? (Let me tell you a secret: it's not. Not really, anyway.)**

 **Anyway, we're almost at the end of this story!**

* * *

 **37\. Do You Hear the People**

Danna came alone, which alarmed Fiyero slightly. He knew his father would have wanted to come look at his granddaughter just as badly as his mother did and that Jorge would only be absent if something extremely significant had occurred or something very important had come up.

Elphaba must have come to the same conclusion, because after watching Danna smile and coo at Ebony for a while – surprisingly, Danna said nothing about the baby's skin colour, for which Fiyero was grateful – the green girl asked bluntly, "So what's going on? Why isn't Jorge here?"

Danna sighed, placing the baby back in Elphaba's arms. "We were hoping you wouldn't ask questions. We don't want you to worry," she explained. "You have enough going on at the moment, what with little Ebony…"

"Mum," Fiyero said firmly. "Answer the question. Whatever it is, we can handle it."

"Riots," Danna admitted, clearly reluctant to do so. "As you know, we have recently brought out the truth about your parentage, Elphaba; and, well… the people don't seem to be taking it well."

Fiyero stiffened. "Why not?" he demanded. "What's their problem with her?"

Ebony, sensing her father's distress, started crying; and Elphaba shushed her gently before placing a calming hand on Fiyero's arm. "Yero…"

"No, Fae. They have no reason not to like you!"

"Not all of them have a problem," Danna assured her son. "Most of them are completely fine with it, but there's a small group of people who had hoped to get someone different on the throne – a resistance group…"

"A resistance group?" Elphaba echoed, surprised. "Really? And they don't want me on the throne – don't they know that I've been part of them for a long time? That I killed Morrible?"

"They do know," Danna said. "Everyone knows. But some of the groups rebelling against the Wizard had their own ideas about who they wanted to rule Oz – one of their own. They'd planned on overthrowing the Wizard and Morrible at some point, anyway, and they wanted to plant someone of their choice on the throne. That is why they don't want to accept you."

Elphaba nodded slowly. "I see."

"Don't worry," Danna assured her. "It'll all be fine. Jorge and the others will take care of it. For now, you two should just focus on your family. If we need you for anything, we'll let you know. Okay?"

"Okay," said Elphaba, a little hesitantly. Fiyero squeezed her shoulder.

"It'll be fine, Fae."

However, in the weeks after that, things failed to settle down completely; and then Jorge sent Elphaba and Fiyero a letter, asking them to come to the Emerald City so that they could be presented to the people. _Perhaps if they see you, they might be less opposed to the idea_ , he wrote and Elphaba thought he might be right – or she would have thought so if the prospect of facing a bunch of sceptical Ozians didn't scare the wits out of her. Nevertheless, she didn't let that show.

Fiyero wasn't too enthusiastic about the idea, either, but he agreed reluctantly that it was probably for the best; and so Fiyero, Elphaba, and eight-weeks-old Ebony set out in a carriage for the Emerald City. They were joined by Galinda and Boq, who didn't want to miss out on anything.

"And besides," Galinda had said, tossing her hair over one shoulder, "I need to visit Momsie and Popsicle again soon, anyway. It's been a while."

Fiyero had raised his eyebrows. "And you can't visit them without Boq?"

The Munchkin had flushed and Fiyero had grinned at the pair of them. "Seriously, when are you two going to get married and find a place of your own? It's about time. All of Oz is probably waiting for it," he'd teased them.

Galinda, however, had merely scoffed and said, "Look who's talking!", at which the prince had wisely shut up.

Upon their arrival, they were whisked away by Jorge, who showed them to their rooms and then took Elphaba and Fiyero to a room he had made into his office during his stay at the Palace. The green girl was a little reluctant to leave Ebony with Galinda, even though she knew her best friend would care for the baby like she was her own, but she also recognised that Ebony needed to sleep and it would be highly impractical to keep her around all the time. Galinda promised to look after the tiny green girl and Elphaba tried to concentrate on what lay ahead.

"The plan is as follows," said Jorge. "The two of you – even little Ebony, if you are okay with that – will appear on the Emerald Square tomorrow afternoon for a press conference. I, along with some other government officials and advisers, will present you all to the Ozians and they can ask you any questions they want. That way, they can get to know you a little better and they will see you with your family, which could never hurt. You might want to think about the things you would want to do as the princess of Oz and tell the people a little bit about those, too, so they will know what they can expect from you… although I strongly advise you to talk those things over with me before the press conference. We don't want to make things worse, so you need to be very careful."

She nodded. "I know. I guess that sounds like a plan."

She was worried, though. Fiyero could tell, but he didn't know what he could do about it. He was worried, too; he just tried not to let it show, knowing it would only upset Elphaba more.

He watched her as they returned to Galinda and Boq's chambers and the dark-haired witch took Ebony from her friend, cooing softly at her daughter, a smile lighting up her face for a moment. Galinda assured them that everything had gone well and they thanked her before returning to their own rooms. Elphaba put the baby down in the bassinet and stood watching her for a while, both arms wrapped around her own waist, clearly thinking.

Fiyero slid his arms around her waist from behind, feeling her tense a little as he startled her, but then she relaxed against his chest and he whispered in her ear, "What are you thinking?"

She chuckled. "I think you know very well what I'm thinking," she teased him lightly. "You always read my mind. Tell me – what am I thinking?"

He smiled against the skin of her neck, pressing a soft kiss to the spot. "I think you're thinking about the press conference tomorrow," he murmured, "and that you're worried about something going wrong, something happening to yourself or me or Ebony, or the people not accepting you."

"Mm." She turned in his arms. "I told you you'd know what I was thinking without me having to tell you."

He laughed softly, guiding her away from Ebony's bassinet and over to the bed. "You should get some rest," he said, stroking her cheek. "It's going to be a long and probably emotional day tomorrow and you're still recovering from giving birth."

She rolled her eyes. "It's been two months. I think I'll live. Besides," she slipped her arms around his neck, "I'm not tired yet." She leaned up to kiss him and he happily complied, pulling her flush against him and tangling his fingers in her long hair.

* * *

The Emerald Square was packed. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of Ozians had come to watch Elphaba and to hear for themselves what she had to say. It was disconcerting, to say the least, and it multiplied Elphaba's nerves by ten.

She and Jorge had made up a whole speech for her to give, carefully weighing every word so she would not offend anyone or leave a negative impression somehow. She was relieved and happy with the conclusion of the speech, however; and despite her nerves, she was confident that she could do this. She carried Ebony in her arms as she went outside, Fiyero right behind her. Jorge, Vaenna, and General Raeden, the only three rulers who were currently also in the Emerald City, came behind the prince. They would support Elphaba, back up her claims, and help her win the people over. They introduced her, briefly talking to the people, before stepping back and ushering Elphaba forward.

By the time the green girl was halfway through the story, Fiyero looked like he was about to burst with pride and Boq was nearly deaf because his girlfriend was squealing so loudly into his ear. The people, however, seemed impressed. Elphaba told them about her life so far, what had happened in the throne room that day, and how grateful she was to be given this second chance. She also talked about the fact that she was, in fact, the princess of Oz.

"Despite that fact, however," she continued, glancing back over her shoulder at Fiyero and Ebony for a moment, "I don't feel like I would be fit to rule you all. I have no experience with such things and although I have studied Politics at university and would love to be of some importance to Oz, I feel like these shoes are too big for me to fill. I have just given birth to my daughter, Ebony, and I have been together with Prince Fiyero for quite a few years already. I don't think I am the person you need to help Oz get back on track. I want to focus on my family." She smiled. "Besides, I'm sure you'll agree with me that ever since Madame Morrible attacked the Wizard, Oz has been ruled rather well by a few people whom I believe would make a great government, put together. King Jorge of the Vinkus; General Raeden of the Glikkus; Duke Laheni of Gillikin; the Sorceress of the South, Vaenna; and my own father – the one who raised me, Governor Thropp of Munchkinland."

Judging by the cheers and applause that followed, the Ozians agreed with that and after answering a few more questions, Elphaba and the others went back inside the Palace, where she collapsed into a chair and said, "I am _never_ doing such a thing _ever_ again."

"Elphie!" Galinda cried as she came storming after the green girl, having been in the audience with Boq. How she'd gotten back so fast was a mystery to Elphaba. "You were amazing! Oh my Oz, I can't believe you're not going to rule! When did you decide that?"

"Officially? This morning," she admitted. "But I'd been thinking about it for a long time already. I don't want the responsibility of ruling Oz. I want to make a difference, but not like that – I wouldn't be a good ruler, anyway. I'm too erratic. Too much of a commotion." She made a face and Galinda giggled.

"Elphaba," General Raeden began. "I know this is early and it hasn't been established yet that Oz will actually be ruled by the province leaders soon, but just in case it does, we have a proposition for you."

Vaenna was smiling when she said, "We'd like to make you our Grand Vizier, Elphaba."

Her head spun. Grand Vizier. The very same job Morrible had told her the Wizard would offer her – the job she'd been wanting for years already. "Really?"

"You're a very intelligent young woman," the general said. "Smart, diplomatic, and with a keen eye for detail."

"You may not be the biggest people person around, but you do have a way to win them for you," Jorge added, "and the decisions I've seen you make so far were both sensible and brave. We think you would be the perfect person to have in a high government position, Elphaba... and you'd still be able to live in the Vinkus, if you wanted to," he added. "You'd have to visit the City occasionally, but you could mostly work from any other place in Oz."

She nodded, smiling. "Thank you. I'd love that," she said honestly.

Someone came up to General Raeden, whispering something in his ear, and the man excused himself and left the group. Elphaba gave his retreating back a slightly worried look, but Fiyero distracted her, perching on the arm of the chair and gently placing Ebony in her arms before sliding his own arm around her waist and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I think that went great, Fae."

"I think so, too." She sighed and looked down at her daughter's face, tracing Ebony's features with the tip of her index finger. "But it's not over yet."

He chuckled. "My little pessimist," he teased her.

"She's right, though," General Raeden reminded him grimly as he re-joined them. "In fact, I just received word that an attack on Elphaba was planned this afternoon. It was stopped by the security guards we posted around the square," he hurried to reassure everyone upon seeing the worried looks on their faces. "The situation has not been resolved yet, however. I've been told that the Gale Force is still holding the suspects at gunpoint, but they haven't managed to arrest them yet. We'll need more soldiers, but there are rumours about more resistance members heading this way…"

Elphaba sat up, her heart pounding. "What?"

"It will be fine," the general assured her, but he didn't sound very confident and Elphaba shook her head, rising to her feet and handing Ebony over to Galinda.

"I'm coming," she said.

"Elphaba, no," Jorge objected. "It's you they're after."

"He's right, Fae," Fiyero said, worry clouding his azure blue eyes. "I won't let you endanger yourself like that. The Gale Force can handle it."

"But I might have a magic spell that can help!" she insisted. "You're right – it's me they're after. Don't you think I've done enough damage already? Don't you think enough people have put themselves in harm's way for me by now?"

Fiyero grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Stop that!" he said firmly, waiting for her to meet his gaze. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Elphaba, anyone who has died or gotten hurt trying to protect you knew about the risk they were taking. It's not your fault. Besides, if it hadn't been for you, so many more people would have been dead or injured – especially Animals! You saved so many lives, Fae."

"But –"

"Elphie," Galinda said firmly, rocking Ebony back and forth. "Don't. We all know you and we've told you so many times before that you have done nothing wrong. Don't go out there out of some twisted sense of guilt. Think about your daughter."

Elphaba bit her lip. "But I _am_. Glin, I really think I can help," she said pleadingly. "I have magic. Especially if reinforcements are on their way, they'll need me."

Galinda looked torn. So did Fiyero, but he knew his girlfriend and so he finally nodded. "I'm coming with you."

She wanted to protest, but recognised it would be hypocritical to ask him to let her go whilst not wanting _him_ to go, and so she kept quiet and just nodded. "Thank you."

"We'll be back soon," Fiyero told the others and he, Elphaba, and General Raeden hurried out of the room.

* * *

 **Next update will probably be on Monday, since I have quite a busy family day on Sunday. A very merry Christmas to all of you! :D**


	38. Time to Say Good-Bye

**Sorry about this, but I have to put a warning here for character death...**

* * *

 **38\. Time to Say Good-Bye**

In the streets past the square, there was chaos. Gale Force soldiers were shouting at one another, struggling to keep control of a group of people who were giving them a hard time. Elphaba spotted Cohvu among the soldiers, as well as Gazilon; they were aiming their rifles at some of the people. The Gale Force Captain was yelling instructions, firing warning shots into the air, but the resistance members did not seem dissuaded in the slightest.

"There she is!" one of them cried and the moment the Gale Force soldiers turned to Elphaba, distracted by the cry, the resistance members pounced.

Suddenly, there were more resistance members, swarming over the Gale Force and shrieking as they attacked. They didn't have firearms – thank Oz for that – but Elphaba did see, to her horror, that they were carrying swords and knives, with which they attempted to stab the Gale Force.

Fiyero gave a warning shout beside her and she ducked aside just in time to avoid the knife someone had thrown at her. Heart pounding, she picked it up and handed it over to Fiyero, racking her brain for a spell she could use to stop this, but she couldn't think of anything. Levitation, healing... she could shoot a beam of energy from her palm, like she'd done to kill Madame Morrible, or she could use simpler spells to take them out one by one; but she was worried that she would hit one of the Gale Force members instead – she'd never forgive herself if she hurt Cohvu or Gazilon. She'd be able to use those spells if she could get closer, though...

More guards came running, the struggle between them and the resistance members continuing, but the Gale Force seemed to slowly gain the upper hand now. Just then, Cohvu gave a cry and Elphaba spun just in time to watch him yank the hilt of a knife out of his leg with a hiss. She dashed over to him, despite Fiyero's yell behind her to stay put. She ducked between people, running over to Cohvu, only to skid to a halt next to him. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," he grunted even as he tried to stop the bleeding with his hands. "You shouldn't be here."

"Let me." She quickly chanted the healing spell, which she had learned by heart, and watched as the wound closed.

He moved his leg. "Thanks." He yanked her to the side, out of the way of another resistance member. "You should get out of here. We've got this."

She scoffed, moving to stand back-to-back with him just like they'd done when they were fighting the Gale Force soldiers a few months before, when she'd still been living at the Animal hide-out. She took out a woman with a well-aimed punch to the jaw. "You haven't "got this". You're outnumbered." She muttered a simple spell under her breath to take out another resistance member.

She hissed when one of their knives slashed her arm, but she struck back without hesitation, trusting that Cohvu had her back – literally – just like she had his. It seemed like the resistance members just kept on coming, however; and when she suddenly caught sight of Fiyero, who must have fallen to the floor and was now trying to protect himself from the tall man looming over him with a sword, her magic kicked in.

It sent them all flying to the ground and the momentary confusion was enough for the Gale Force to be able to overpower the resistance members. More guards came running and there was another brief struggle during which Elphaba caught her breath and looked around. "Yero? Are you okay?"

"Fine!" he called back, rising to his feet and brushing off his clothes. "You?"

She was about to reply when she laid eyes on one of the fallen Gale Force soldiers and she froze for a moment, whispering, "No," before running over to the man.

"Gaz!" She fell down on her knees next to him, her heart sinking when she saw the rapidly growing pool of blood around him. She let her hands hover above his body and started chanting the healing spell, even though she suspected the damage done was too bad for that spell to heal it.

Gazilon coughed, wincing as he did so. "Elphaba..." he wheezed. "It's no use."

"Don't say that!" Her dark eyes flamed. "For Oz's sake, Gazilon, you cannot die on me. I won't let you. Okay?" She chanted the spell again, but he raised his hand to grab her wrist, stopping her.

He shook his head at her. "It's no use," he said again, his voice barely above a whisper.

Tears stung her eyes, but she angrily wiped them away. She clasped his hand as if it were a lifeline – as if she were the one dying instead of him. "No..." A sob escaped her lips. "What did you do?!"

"He tried to attack you," he mumbled and her heart skipped a beat. "I had to stop him."

No. He couldn't. He couldn't be yet another person who had died for her... not him, not Gazilon. She stifled a sob. Would she ever stop leaving pain and death in her wake?

He reached up again, to touch her cheek this time. "El..." He closed his eyes and for a horrible, heart-stopping moment, she thought he was dead; but then he opened his eyes again and whispered, "I'm sorry. About... well, everything."

She shook her head, now ignoring the tears dripping down her face. "Don't be," she choked out. "I forgave you a long time ago. You're my best friend, Gaz, and you saved my life... if anything, _I_ am sorry."

"Don't be," he echoed her own words back at her. "You have nothing to be sorry for." His breaths came in shuddering gasps and she knew he wouldn't hold out much longer. His grip on her tightened and he managed, "I love you, Elphaba. Always have and always will."

More tears filled her eyes at that. "I know." She cried, still trying not to look at the blood surrounding him, but it was becoming harder and harder to ignore.

He took another shaky breath. "El?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you..." He swallowed and licked his dry lips. "Would you do something for me?"

She knew what he was about to ask her without him actually needing to ask it. She nodded, her eyes still filled with tears, and she sniffled. Instead of replying, however, she merely bent down to kiss him softly on the lips.

When she pulled away, his breath escaped with a sigh. "Thank you."

He was quickly becoming too weak to speak, but he still managed, "Please don't feel guilty."

"I won't," she whispered, even though that was a promise she already knew she probably wouldn't be able to keep. She cradled his head in her lap, gently stroking his hair away from his face. "I'll tell Ebony about you," she told him, her voice breaking. "I'll tell her about my ex-boyfriend who was also my best friend, who saved my life so many times and in so many ways... who saved _hers_ , too, in a way. I do love you, Gaz. I'll never stop doing that. I know you always did what you thought was best and I admire you for that. You're one of the bravest, kindest, and most genuine people I've ever met."

He managed a weak smile, lightly squeezing her hand. His grip loosened and she felt his hand go limp in hers at about the same time she saw his eyes go empty, watched his chest fall for the last time. She'd expected to burst out crying, but she found herself surprisingly calm.

She leaned her forehead against his, closing her eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry," she whispered, brushing her hand over his face to close his eyelids. She gently placed his head on the floor and looked up, tears still in her eyes. Fiyero was standing not too far away, watching her. Somehow he was always nearby when she needed him. For a moment, she worried, knowing he must have seen her kiss Gazilon; but she pushed the worry away. She knew he'd understand.

He approached, gingerly. "Fae?" he asked quietly.

She rose to her feet. She sniffled and wiped her face with her sleeve, cringing a little when she realised she'd just smeared some of Gazilon's blood onto her face. Fiyero came even closer, reaching out to touch her, but she jerked away from him.

He looked concerned. "Sweetheart..."

"I'm okay," she choked out. She sniffled again. "Well, not okay, obviously, but..."

He reached for her again, but she shook her head, stepping backwards. "Not now," she said quietly. "Later." If she let him hold her now, she'd collapse into his arms in a sobbing mess and she wouldn't be a help to anyone anymore. "I can't, Yero... not right now. I need..." She took a deep breath. "I need to stop this, I…" She faltered, unsure of what to do. She could see that Fiyero was a little hurt by her words, but she knew he'd understand nonetheless. She turned, taking a deep breath and trying to focus on what was still going on around her, but her vision was blurred by tears.

"Elphaba," a different voice said and she glanced up to see Cohvu standing there, looking exhausted and with blood stains on his clothes. He placed a hand on her arm. "It's over, Elphaba. You don't need to do anything anymore."

She looked around, blinking back her tears, only to realise that he was right. The resistance members were all being shackled and taken away by the remaining Gale Force soldiers. Both sides had suffered some losses, although neither of them very many. At least there was that to be grateful for.

They were approached by General Raeden, who raked his fingers through his hair. "Elphaba, Fiyero, you should go inside. It's over for now, but we're not sure if there are more of them around. This is no longer your fight."

Fiyero nodded. "Fae?"

She shook her head. "I'm not leaving him." She sat down next to Gazilon again. Behind her, she could hear Fiyero quietly explain to the general that Gazilon was a friend of theirs.

Cohvu knelt down on Gazilon's other side, a sad look on his face as he looked at his old friend. "Damn it, Gaz," he said softly.

"He saved me," Elphaba whispered incredulously. "He saved my life, Cohvu, and he died doing it."

"We'll bring him back to the Palace," General Raeden said behind her. "Don't worry, Elphaba. I'll make sure he is brought inside, but you and Fiyero really need to go now as well." He helped Elphaba back to her feet, even as Cohvu remained by their friends' side. The green girl looked at him and he gave her a tired smile.

"Don't worry," he said. "I'll stay with him."

She nodded and made to follow the general, but Cohvu stopped her. "And El?"

She stopped and looked at him again.

"It wasn't your fault," he said. "I hope you know that."

That did it. Nine little words, spoken by Cohvu sitting next to Gazilon's dead body. She crumbled, bursting into sobs; and then of course Fiyero was there, taking her in his arms and holding her tightly even as she knew he must be crying, too. Gazilon had been his friend as well.

She was hardly aware of the fact that she was brought inside. Galinda came out, shocked to see her friend in such a state, and Fiyero quietly told her what had happened. The blonde, although shaken by the news herself, instantly went to make Elphaba some tea even as Fiyero sat her down in a love seat and wrapped a blanket around her. He crouched before her. "Fae?"

She shook her head, still crying. He sighed and wrapped his arms back around her, moving her so that she was sitting in his lap, and she curled into him and buried her face in his neck as he rocked her back and forth.

They managed to coax some tea into her and Fiyero told Galinda the entire story. She stroked Elphaba's hair. "Oh, Elphie... I'm so sorry."

"He did it to save me," she croaked. Fiyero could feel her trembling. "He died because of me..."

"No," Galinda and Fiyero said firmly at the same time. The blonde was scowling. "Elphie, listen to me. It was _not_ your fault. He chose to do that himself. Okay? You didn't ask him to save you, did you?"

"But he did," she whispered. "Because he still loves... loved me."

"Just like you would save Fiyero in a heartbeat," Galinda said, "even if that meant sacrificing yourself. We'd all do crazy things for the people we love, Elphaba. Even if you didn't love him back the way he would have wanted you to, don't you think you would have done the same for him if the roles had been reversed?"

Elphaba bit her lip, then admitted, "Yes."

"See?" Galinda hugged her as best she could with the green girl still in Fiyero's arms. "It's going to be okay, Elphie. I'll look after Ebony – you just get some rest and try to calm down a little."

"Are you sure, Glin?" Fiyero asked quietly and the petite girl rolled her eyes at him.

"It's not like I _mind_ watching little Eb," she told him. "I love her. She's my goddaughter. She's adorable and she's not a bother at all, and besides, Elphaba needs some rest now." She touched Fiyero's arm. "You take care of her, understood?" She smiled. "Never mind. I know you will." She swept out of the room, leaving Elphaba and Fiyero alone.

* * *

 **Yeah. Sorry. I'll go hide now.**

 **Only two more chapters to go!**


	39. Nothing Really Matters

**I know. I'm sorry for killing Gaz, but I've been planning it for a while already and once a certain few people whom I will not mention here accidentally planted the idea in my head, it just seemed fitting. With everything going on, a lot of nameless people have already died in previous chapters, but it'd just feel too unrealistic if all our favourites made it out completely happy and healthy.**

 **Silvine... I told you before that I had plans for Gazilon. This is kind of what I meant. I know, it was mean.**

 **Also, the Les Mis similarities are accidental, since I've only sort of half seen Les Mis once and I don't remember a lot of it... I should really watch it again :3.**

* * *

 **39\. Nothing Really Matters**

"Fiyero?" she whispered once they were in the bed together a little while later, with Elphaba still in his arms. She'd been clinging to him like he was her lifeline and he didn't have the heart to let her go – not that he wanted to, anyway. He had her wrapped up in his arms, the blanket still around her, with his chin resting on the top of her head. There was no way she could be cold, but she was shivering nonetheless.

He hummed to let her know he'd heard her and she asked him weakly, "Are you mad at me?"

He blinked, taken aback. "What? Why in Oz would I be mad at you?" He tried to look her in the eye, but she was avoiding his gaze.

"Because of that kiss," she whispered.

He understood then and he shook his head, holding her closer to him. "Oh, Fae... of course not." He dropped a kiss to her hair. "I understand. I'm so sorry, sweetheart. He didn't deserve this." He hadn't forgotten about the things Gazilon had done for them. He'd been there for Elphaba when she had been alone and abandoned by him, Fiyero, during their first break-up. He'd been more understanding than they ever could have asked for about the rekindling of their relationship, even if he had been in love with Elphaba himself for a long time already. Fiyero knew Gazilon and Elphaba had been very close ever since the beginning of their friendship and he didn't think he'd ever known anyone more selfless, aside perhaps from Elphaba herself.

That's what he said at Gazilon's funeral service, too, a couple of days later, with Elphaba by his side. The green girl was crying; so was everyone else who was present. Lanae was there, as well as Cohvu, Galinda, Boq, Nessarose, and even Avaric. Everyone who had known Gazilon seemed to have travelled to the Emerald City in order to be there for the funeral.

"So I guess I just want to say thank you," Fiyero finished, his gaze on the coffin containing their friend's body. "Thank you for everything you've done for us – all of us. Personally, I particularly want to say thank you for being there for Elphaba when I couldn't be."

Galinda sobbed. Elphaba, beside him, was shedding silent tears, also keeping her eyes trained on the coffin because she couldn't bear to look up and see his parents sitting in the first row. They had already spoken, their heartbreak clear in their entire demeanour, and Elphaba didn't think she had ever felt so guilty before, even though her friends kept telling her that Gazilon's death was not her fault.

"You were the best friend I ever could have wished for," she whispered, closing her eyes for a moment, "and the best person I have ever known. Rest in peace, Gaz."

They sat back down, making way for Cohvu, Boq, and Avaric, who talked a little about their time in _Gravity_ with Gazilon and their friendship back at Shiz. Elphaba buried her face in Fiyero's shirt and he stroked her hair, exchanging a look with Galinda over the young witch's head. Nessarose, who was sitting beside Galinda, reached out across the blonde's lap to take Elphaba's hand and squeeze it gently. Frex, who was beside Nessa and minding Ebony during the service, looked suspiciously misty-eyed at seeing his daughter so upset.

Elphaba and Fiyero were scheduled to leave for the Vinkus mere hours after Gazilon's funeral, for their own safety, since the resistance groups were still active in and around the Emerald City and the rulers wanted to keep the two of them out of harm's way. Despite the fact that she did not intend to rule, Elphaba was still the rightful heir to the Ozian throne and Fiyero was the heir to the Vinkun one; General Raeden had explained that Oz couldn't afford to lose either of them.

Jorge and Danna were in the Vinkus already and they would be waiting. Elphaba, Fiyero, and Ebony would stay with them for the time being, until the threat had passed – maybe longer than that. Frex and Nessarose would accompany them and spend a week or so in the Vinkus as well before returning to Munchkinland. Galinda and Boq decided to simply go home to Galinda's family for a while. Cohvu would stay in the City and continue his work as Gale Force soldier; Vaenna and General Raeden were staying, too, to try and help restrain the resistance movement and discuss what was going to happen to Oz now.

Elphaba had seen Gazilon's parents, just after the ceremony; and she had shaken off Fiyero's arm and made her way over to them, stopping right in front of them.

"He died saving my life," she'd said, her eyes surprisingly dry for once, "and I'm sorry."

They'd taken her in and her heart had been pounding, expecting them to slap her or to just brush past her without so much as acknowledging her. Instead, however, Gazilon's father had said, "Elphaba. He talked a lot about you. He was in love with you."

She'd nodded, lowering her gaze. "I know."

"And you couldn't love him back," the man had continued, "but we can't fault you for that. You don't choose who you fall in love with." Exactly what Gazilon had told her, years ago, when she'd broken up with him because she still loved Fiyero. It was easy now to see how he had been the wonderful person she'd known. "You knew him, Elphaba, so I'm sure you also know that there was no stopping him from protecting the ones he loved."

"At least his death wasn't for nothing," Gazilon's mother said bravely, even though her lip was trembling and her eyes were filled with tears. "We don't blame you for that. It wasn't your fault."

Despite all the earlier reassurances of her friends, these were the ones Elphaba felt really counted and she felt like a huge weight dropped from her shoulders. "Thank you."

Gazilon's father patted her shoulder. "You and the prince spoke beautifully just now," he said and she inclined her head slightly in thanks.

They moved past her and she turned around, still watching them. "He died the way he lived," she said and they looked at her over their shoulders. "Like a hero."

Gazilon's mother smiled sadly at her and his father nodded, squeezing his wife's shoulders before guiding her away. Elphaba exhaled slowly before returning to Fiyero's side, feeling lighter.

The journey to the Vinkus was uneventful, aside from the fact that Ebony clearly hated travelling in a carriage, because she kept on fussing and crying. Elphaba sighed, unbuttoning her dress to feed the baby. "I guess she's about as big a fan of carriages as I am."

Fiyero smiled. "That, or maybe she can sense our distress." He watched as his girlfriend nursed Ebony and made her burp before nestling her in her arms again. Ebony yawned and Elphaba stroked her head, murmuring softly to her. Fiyero hummed a lullaby and eventually, the baby girl drifted off to sleep.

Elphaba heaved a relieved sigh and leaned her head back, closing her eyes for a moment. Fiyero could tell she was exhausted, even though she would never complain. "Are you all right, Fae?" he asked softly.

She opened her eyes to look at him, attempting a faint smile. "I'm fine, I guess, under the circumstances. Just tired," she admitted. "And... well, sad. And a little scared, too – mostly for you and Eb."

"Worried we might be attacked in or on our way to the Vinkus?" Fiyero guessed and she nodded.

"A little."

He drew her into his arms, kissing her temple. "We'll be fine, you'll see." He stroked her cheek. "I just wish I could make you feel better."

"You are," she murmured, closing her eyes again as she leaned into him. He put his chin on her shoulder and they spent the rest of the carriage drive in silence, both of them lost in their own thoughts.

* * *

The next few weeks went by without anything happening, which was a nice change. Fiyero, Elphaba, and Ebony spent a lot of time with Frex and Nessa and when the two of them returned to Munchkinland, the green girl asked Jorge and Danna to teach her more about being a princess, which they were happy to do. This, of course, sparked Fiyero to hesitantly ask her if she would maybe be open to the idea of discussing a potential marriage somewhere in the future, at which she'd laughed and told him yes. She did want to marry him. She didn't want to be afraid anymore.

About three weeks after leaving the City, they received word from Vaenna and General Raeden that the last rebellious resistance members had been apprehended and the movement had bled out. An announcement was made to the people that Oz would be turned into a democracy; the citizens could vote for the person they wanted to be in the government and Oz would be ruled by a group of five to ten people, to try and keep everything fair. No-one wanted a repetition of what had happened under the Wizard's reign, after all.

It was that same night that Fiyero awoke in the middle of the night to find Elphaba missing. When he went in search of her, figuring Ebony must have woken her up, he found her in the nursery. She was standing in front of the window with the baby cradled in her arms, softly rocking her back and forth. She must have heard him in the doorway, because she looked up when he entered, giving him a small smile.

"Do you have some creepy superpower telling you when I'm up in the middle of the night or when I'm not feeling okay?" she asked, which made him chuckle and draw her into his arms.

"Sort of," he said.

Her smile widened a little. "Ebony was awake," she explained, looking down at the little girl in her arms. "I can't get her to settle down. The moment I put her down, she begins to cry."

Fiyero took his daughter from the green girl, smiling down at her emerald face even as she continued to fuss and whimper. "Hello, princess," he cooed. Suddenly getting an idea, he started to sing. " _When she's okay, then I'm all right. When she's awake, I'm up all night; and nothing really matters. Nothing really matters._ "

Ebony fell quiet, staring up at him with wide hazel eyes, and he continued to sing to her. " _I see her face, and in my mind I seize the day. Whenever she's nearby it's like nothing really matters. Nothing really matters._ " Carefully, he put his daughter down in the bassinet. She kept quiet, still looking at him, as he continued to sing. " _She completes me, like she reads me, right or wrong. It's so clear she's all that I need..._ "

He backed away slowly, still humming, and slid his arms around Elphaba's waist from behind. She smiled tiredly and leaned into his chest. "Thanks," she murmured. "I was afraid I'd have to sit up with her all night."

" _I know what it feels like,_ " he sang softly in her ear. " _I know what it feels like. Swimming through the stars when I see her. And I don't need air because I breathe her_."

She closed her eyes for a moment. "It's been a long time since I've really heard you sing," she said. The corner of her mouth quirked up into a sad smile. "I guess we'll never see a _Gravity_ reunion performance now, huh?"

He nuzzled her cheek. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart." He pulled back, looking at her. "I just hope you're not blaming yourself anymore," he said seriously.

She sighed. "I'm not, I guess." She'd told him before about her talk with Gazilon's parents. "It's not really that. I'm just... sad. It's strange to know I can never talk to him anymore..." She sniffled a little. "If it weren't for him, you and I might not even be together right now, you know?"

"I know." He just held her for a while until he felt her relax a little, calming down. He knew Gazilon's death was a pain that would never truly go away, but as long as she didn't feel guilty over it anymore, he was convinced that she would be able to live with it. He could only be grateful for the fact that they were still here at all – if that resistance group had been bigger or better organised, the whole thing could have turned into a civil war. Thank Oz at least it had been over relatively easily, if at a terrible cost.

They would be okay now. He was sure of that. They would get married and have their happily ever after, one way or another. The worst was over; now all that was left to do was pick up the pieces and move on.


	40. Epilogue

**First of all, I just want to thank you all so much for voting for me in the Greg Awards. The results were overwhelming and made me very, very happy - of course I was hoping I would win something, but I never expected _this_. Wow. Thank you. Really. I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful way to end this year!**

 **Here you go, then. The epilogue of this story (this story, which actually tied for 3rd place for Best Angst in the Gregs :D).**

* * *

 **40\. Epilogue**

Galinda definitely did make a beautiful bride. The skirt was way too puffy for Elphaba's liking, the fabric too shimmery, the entire dress too sparkly, and the beading too... well, pink; but the blonde looked gorgeous. There was no doubt about that. Elphaba fingered the wedding ring around her own finger, smiling a little at the memory of herself walking down that aisle with Fiyero waiting for her at the end. All her fears and doubts about marriage had seemed silly when she'd come through those doors and seen the look on his face.

The ceremony was beautiful, too. Everyone agreed that Ebony made the sweetest flower girl. At five years old, she was incredibly proud of the fact that she could take part in her Auntie Galinda's ceremony and she loved her pink flower girl's dress. The whole day had "Galinda" written all over it.

"Finally," Elphaba said to her blonde friend when she eventually got to talk to her at the reception. "I still can't believe it took you and Boq _five more years_ to do this. Honestly. We all thought you'd be getting married before Yero and I would."

Galinda giggled. "You know me, Elphie, I wanted everything done right! Between Boq having to ask my father for my hand, me having to plan the whole wedding, and a proper engagement... and even then, so many things were happening in Oz at the time – we didn't want those things to put our wedding in their shadow."

"Because Oz forbid the democratic choosing of a new Ozian government would be more important than Galinda Upland's wedding," Elphaba deadpanned, which earned her a huff from her blonde friend.

"Shut up, Elphie."

Elphaba laughed, only to be distracted by Ebony, who came up to her and tugged at her dress. "Mama, Daddy wants to dance with you."

The green girl heaved a deep sigh. Galinda just giggled. "Go, Elphie. I'll look after Ebony." She winked. "Even a princess should have some time with her prince every now and then."

Elphaba rolled her eyes even as she made her way over to where Fiyero was standing. Even after all this time, she didn't regret her decision to turn down the throne of Oz. Being Princess of the Vinkus was already trying enough on its own – especially in her current condition.

She reached Fiyero, who gave her an impish smile before sweeping her into his arms onto the dance floor. "Finally, some time alone with you. Between all those meetings and other stupid royal duties and caring for Ebony, I feel like I hardly get to spend time alone with you anymore."

She rolled her eyes again. "You see me all the time, Yero." She had to admit it was nice, though, to just be swaying in his arms again. It reminded her of their time at Shiz. "What time are we leaving again tomorrow?"

"Ten in the morning," he said apologetically. "I'd have loved to stay longer, Fae, but I couldn't get out of that meeting with –"

"Hush, Yero. It's fine." She smiled a little tightly. "There's just something I want to do before we go. I guess I'll just have to get up early for it."

He understood what she meant right away. "Is it okay if I come or do you want to go alone?"

She shook her head. "You can come. If you can handle getting up before eight," she teased and he scowled at her.

"I'll have you know, Mrs Tiggular, that I have gotten up in the middle of the night countless times to change diapers or comfort a crying Ebony..." he began and she finished for him, "And you're going to have to start doing so again in a couple of months."

He snickered, kissing her softly. "I'm looking forward to it."

Elphaba wasn't sure who was more excited about the fact that she was pregnant again – Fiyero, Ebony, or Galinda. The blonde had found out a couple of weeks ago that she was, in fact, pregnant as well and she couldn't stop squealing about the fact that their children would be bestest friends, just like them. Ebony was simply delighted at the prospect of becoming a big sister and loved to help prepare things for the baby – from picking out colours for, and helping decorate, the nursery, to coming up with names and helping Elphaba around as her stomach started getting more and more in the way. Fiyero, for his part, couldn't wait to have another baby and was hovering again, which she sometimes did and sometimes did not mind, depending on how her hormones were acting at that particular moment.

It was so different from when she'd been pregnant with Ebony and she felt like she could enjoy it more now than she had the first time. The first time, after all, she hadn't even known about her pregnancy until she'd already been months along, while this time she'd found out at five weeks. She could really focus on her body now and what was happening inside of it. Fiyero insisted on her taking all the rest she needed and she was both physically and emotionally feeling better this time around, which she was glad about.

"El!" she heard and when she turned around, it was to see Cohvu coming up to them, a beaming smile on his face. He hugged her and then stepped back. "May I introduce someone to you?" he asked with a dimpled grin. "Guys, this is Carnos. Car, these are Elphaba and Fiyero."

Elphaba smirked as she let Carnos kiss her hand. "Why, I've heard so much about you, Carnos. It feels like just yesterday when I overheard a _very_ awkward conversation between dear Cohvu here and a completely love-struck Galinda, during which we all found out that Cohvu actually liked men."

Since Cohvu had first joined the Gale Force and liked one of his fellow soldiers and resistance members, he'd briefly dated a few times, but nothing serious. For the past year or so, however, it had been Carnos left and right and they had all wondered if Cohvu, too, would be settling down now. They'd been dying to meet this mysterious man and looking at them now, Elphaba thought that they looked happy together. She was fairly certain this was, indeed, quite a serious relationship.

Cohvu flushed, which made her chortle. Carnos just grinned. "I can see why Cohvu likes you, Elphaba."

"I can see why he likes you, too, although in a different way," she said teasingly. She flashed Cohvu a grin. "Seriously, though – I'm happy for both of you."

"Thanks, El," Cohvu muttered, still looking flustered. Elphaba laughed again and a woman came up to them, hips swaying.

"Why, Prince Fiyero," she purred, "you've only gotten more handsome over the years." She trailed her fingers down his arm.

Elphaba, in mild jealousy sparked by hormones, clung to his other arm and sent the woman a glare. "Off. Mine."

Cohvu guffawed at that and even Fiyero was chuckling, rolling his eyes. "Fae..."

"Shut up." She raised an eyebrow at Swan, who grinned back at the green girl. "So Galinda invited you, huh?"

"Well, I did come to her house many times at some point." Swan smirked and then stepped forward to wrap her arms around Elphaba in a brief embrace. "It's good to see you again, Elphaba. You look good."

The dark-haired witch rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "Yeah, yeah, it's okay. No need for flattery." Her smile turned sad. "Besides, we all know you're not _really_ interested in Yero."

Swan returned the smile just as wistfully. "Yes. I know. There was something there with Gaz," she admitted. "I would have loved to explore it further, but sometimes there's no choice involved. He was a noble man, though, noble and kind and brave, and I won't forget him anytime soon. Thanks to him, I have a better life now."

"You're still working at the hotel?" Elphaba asked in interest and she nodded proudly.

"Made it to head manager," Swan said. Elphaba knew that whilst she had been in Munchkinland waiting for her name to be cleared and her baby to come, Gazilon and Swan had spent a lot of time together and he had managed to get her a job at a hotel in the Emerald City so that she wouldn't have to do her other work anymore. Swan was still very grateful for that and determined to never go back to her old job. "The only complaint anyone ever had about me was that I flirt with the male guests too much. Can you believe that?"

Cohvu, Elphaba, and Fiyero all shook their heads and pretended to be incredulous, which made Swan giggle. She fluttered her eyelashes at Fiyero. "Well, then – since the three of you are respectively gay, female, and _very_ taken," she winked at Elphaba, "I suppose I'll be off to see what other guests Galinda has invited today." She waved sweetly at them. "I'll see you around!" With that, she left.

"You know," Fiyero said after a few moments of silence. "It's actually kind of hot when you act all jealous."

Of course, that just made her punch her husband in the arm and he grimaced, rubbing the spot. "Ow. You hit hard."

"You're such a wuss," Elphaba huffed, crossing her arms.

He grinned and slid his arms around her waist, pressing soft kisses to her neck. "Ah, but I'm _your_ wuss."

She shuddered. "That was the most horrendible line I've _ever_ heard you use," she declared, pulling out of his embrace. "I'm going check on Ebony before you manage to give me morning sickness at eleven at night."

Elphaba danced, she talked to her friends, she brought Ebony up to bed, and then she came back down and danced and talked some more. By the time she and Fiyero retired, her feet hurt and she was so tired that she fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. It felt like only minutes later when Fiyero gently woke her up again, telling her that if she still wanted to go to the cemetery, they'd have to go now.

The streets of the Emerald City were quiet so early in the morning. A couple of shopkeepers were already at work – the light in the back of the bakery was on and in some stores, people could be seen moving behind the windows – but overall, there was an almost eerie silence. When they reached the cemetery, arms linked and with Ebony running ahead of them, Elphaba stooped to pick some wildflowers from the strokes of grass beside the path. They followed the paths between the graves until they reached a headstone farther in the back.

 _Gazilon Damaran_ , it said, with the dates of his birth and death below. It was a simple stone, as his family had requested, but it suited him. He would have found it fitting, she was sure.

"Hey, Gaz," she murmured, crouching before the grave to lay down the flowers. She looked at the headstone.

Despite the Emerald City being quite some distance away from the Vinkus, she still came here quite often. Now that she had been appointed the Magic Grand Vizier of the new government – a government that, after official elections throughout all of Oz, still included General Raeden, Vaenna, Jorge, and Frex, although the latter two in relatively small roles – she had to spend some time in the City occasionally. Fiyero came with her whenever he could. Sometimes he couldn't and it would just be her and Ebony. Galinda and Boq, having moved to live in the Emerald City a few years ago, loved to have them nearby, as did Cohvu; and every time she was here, she visited Gazilon's grave.

She'd kept her promise to him. Every time she came to the cemetery with Ebony, she told her daughter stories about "Uncle Gazilon". The little girl often picked some flowers for him herself. Sometimes she made a drawing for him; one time she'd embroidered a handkerchief with the letter _G_ and a little heart during her embroidery lessons and left that on the grave during their next visit. Gazilon's parents took care of it well and despite only having seen them once or twice since their son's death, Elphaba knew they appreciated the gesture of her still coming here and laying something on the grave.

She was happy with her life now. Things weren't perfect – being both a princess and a Grand Vizier could be rather stressful at times, not to mention the fact that her and Fiyero's relationship wasn't always without hurdles and raising a child was not an easy feat, either, but they were managing and they were happy. Oz had settled down and was peaceful once again. Elphaba felt peaceful these days, too – a feeling she'd never really known, but she welcomed with open arms now.

"When are we going to Munchkinland again?" Fiyero asked quietly.

She leaned against him. "In two weeks," she answered. "Honestly, Yero, I thought I was supposed to be the one with the baby brain."

Nessarose had just given birth to a baby of her own, which was why she hadn't been able to attend Galinda's wedding. The Tiggulars were going to visit Nessa, her husband, and their newborn son soon. Elphaba was looking forward to seeing her sister and brother-in-law again, not to mention seeing her nephew for the first time. Since she herself still had a couple of months to go before being due, she had wanted to go out to Munchkinland as soon as possible, before her pregnancy would render her unable to travel such a distance.

The youngest Thropp sister had gotten married and moved out of the governor's mansion a couple of years ago to live with her husband. Eventually, they and their children would move back into the mansion, once Nessarose would take over as governor, but that still seemed to be some time away. For now, they were focusing on their family and Nessa was learning about the governorship while her husband worked in one of the local stores. They were happy together, especially now with their first child just born.

Much to Elphaba's surprise, however, she didn't only visit Munchkinland to see her little sister. She and Frex had continued to grow closer over the years and although she knew she would never turn into a Daddy's girl or tell him all her secrets, they were getting along well and she actually looked forward to seeing him again. He was a doting grandfather to Ebony and she knew he was also excited about the prospect of her giving him a second grandchild. He often came to the Vinkus as well. In fact, she seemed to be getting along well with everyone now – Fiyero's parents had completely warmed up to her and she liked spending time with them, too. Fiyero had eventually forgiven his mother for what she'd done, mainly because Elphaba didn't make a big deal out of it and he felt a little silly staying mad at Danna for turning in Elphaba when the green girl in question was getting along with the queen just fine. Then there were Moula, Bob, Noah, and Brownie, who had stayed in Munchkinland and whom she also visited occasionally. Ebony had basically become best friends with the three Animals at first sight and loved visiting them as well.

"Let's go," Elphaba said with a sigh after a while. "We still have to pack some things and we'll have to head back to the Vinkus soon."

Ebony nodded, black pigtails bobbing up and down. "Okay. Bye, Uncle Gazilon," she said, blowing a kiss in the direction of the grave before skipping ahead of her parents again. Elphaba had to smile at that.

Life was good, she thought, one hand drifting to her stomach, and she was fairly convinced that from now on, it would only get better.

She slipped her hand into her husband's, letting her head fall against his shoulder. He kissed her hair and murmured, "You okay?"

She nodded, looking up at him and leaning in to kiss him softly. He smiled into the kiss, sliding his arm around her waist and squeezing her gently into his side as they continued to walk with their daughter skipping and dancing ahead of them.

* * *

 **I hope you liked that ending. Thank you all for reading and reviewing, it is very much appreciated! I will start posting my next story somewhere in the new year (lol), but I want to really finish it first. I'm already well on my way, though, so it shouldn't take me too long.**

 **In the meantime, I have two one-shots in store for you - one of which is a short sequel to _Living Lies_. Given the amount of awards that fanfic just won in the Gregs, I thought it would be a nice thank you for me to post the one-shot sequel to it tomorrow, on the last day of the year, so I hope to "see" you then! :)**


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